Holiday Gifts
by Ivy Kendall
Summary: Sharon gets an unexpected visitor following her evening at the ballet with Andy and his family. One thing leads to another...
1. Chapter 1

Sharon turned the radio on behind her, and began humming along with the classical music as she finished her paperwork. It was a Friday afternoon, and everyone else in the office had taken advantage of her generosity in completing the file while they went home to complete shopping or whatever they needed to do on a free afternoon before Christmas. The office was quiet.

She was so caught up in what she was doing that the knock on her office door made her jump.

"I'm sorry," the apology came.

Sharon blinked, then smiled. "Don't be. What brings you downtown, Nicole? I think your father went home some time ago."

"I came to see you, actually. Mind if I come in?"

Sharon watched the younger woman bite her lip slightly, obviously unsure if she was overstepping bounds, and immediately smiled.

"Of course," she said, waving Nicole into one of the chairs across from her. "I'm flattered. To what do I owe the honour of your visit?"

Taking the offered seat, Nicole placed her bag on the chair beside her and tried to look relaxed. "I wanted to thank you again for coming to the ballet with us last weekend. I was really happy to see you."

"It was my pleasure. I love the ballet, and I love the Nutcracker, so it was perfect. It's nice having someone new to watch in the performance, as well. Your step-sons did a wonderful job."

Nicole smiled, and lowered her head slightly. "Sometimes I forget they are only my step-sons. I couldn't love them more if I was their real mother."

"I know what you mean. And you are their real mother, don't doubt that. Giving birth is only part of the process."

"Thank you for that. I worry that they will think I'm trying to be someone I'm not."

Sharon leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, studying the young woman. Finally she said, "You're a lot like your father, you know. He's always worried about what others think of him as well. He will shortchange himself long before he gets a chance to enjoy things, simply because he doesn't want to disappoint anyone."

"You really care about my dad, don't you."

"I do," Sharon nodded, and marveled at how easy the confession sprang from her lips. She didn't even have to think about it. Andy mattered.

"He cares about you too. I see it."

"Thank you, that's lovely to hear."

"The tension has always been high when my parents have been in the room together, but when you're there, it seems easier."

Sharon smiled, "I'm glad to help. I know your father loves spending time with you."

"Is he... is he different when it's only you?" Nicole asked nervously.

Sharon sat up, cautious of the turn in conversation. "What do you mean?"

"I mean... is he more relaxed? Is it me?"

"No Honey, it's not you."

"I wonder... you know... I... There's a lot of bad history in my family with my dad, and a lot of years that we couldn't count on him, and I don't know what to do with that."

Sharon was taken aback at the depth of the confession, and leaned forward on her desk, clasping her hands in the process. She willed Nicole to continue.

"He was an alcoholic. I'm sure you know that."

"He still is."

"He's drinking?" panic and sadness pooled in Nicole's eyes.

Quickly Sharon corrected the situation, "No, no he's not drinking. I didn't mean to give you that impression. I'm sorry. Andy has been sober for a very long time. No, it's just that once you're an alcoholic, you're always an alcoholic. Your father is very clear on that point. It's never in the past for him, and he doesn't take his sobriety for granted. He works at it every day. It's easier now for him than it was in the beginning, but he still has to make sure he sticks to his recovery."

"Oh," Nicole slumped back in her chair, confused and relieved. "I thought you meant he was drinking again. I can't go back there."

"He isn't going to make you. You and your brother are the reason he has been sober this long. You have to know that." Sharon felt such sympathy for Nicole.

"I want to believe that, but it's hard. Mom keeps telling me it wouldn't take much for Dad to start drinking again. I'm scared about that. I didn't even have an open bar at my wedding because I didn't want him to be tempted."

Sharon's face got a little tighter as she nodded, "He realized that."

"Did I insult him?" Nicole sounded worried again.

"I think it made him more sad than anything," Sharon told her truthfully. "He knows that's a constant worry for you, and he wishes it would go away."

"I don't want to hurt him, I just never know."

"He knows that, Nicole, but I think your mother is wrong. I think it would take a great deal for your father to start drinking again. He's been sober longer than he was drinking, and he knows better than anyone what his drinking cost him."

"Dad says you understand what drinking can do to a family." Nicole ventured, looking to see Sharon's reaction.

Nodding, Sharon looked down at her clasped hands. "I do know, and it's not easy. My..." She didn't know why, but Sharon couldn't say the word 'husband' in front of Nicole. "My children's father is an alcoholic, and a gambling addict, but unlike Andy, he's never been serious about his recovery. My children have never understood why their father won't do that for them. You and your brother are very luckily that your father saw the damage and did something about it."

"I didn't know that. Does it bother them that you are dating another alcoholic, even if it's someone who has changed?"

Sharon didn't know how to answer the question. She and Andy weren't dating, not really, but they did enjoy spending time together and it was a complication that Andy should explain to his children, not herself.

"My children haven't met your father yet," she decided to say, truthfully.

"Then... they don't live in LA?"

Smiling sadly Sharon replied, "No, my son works in a hospital in Seattle, and my daughter is based in New York. She's with the American Ballet Theatre."

"Oh..." Nicole's eyes got larger.

"What is it?"

Nicole shook her head, "It's nothing. You must be very proud."

"I am. If you're interested, I could take you and your new sons to see her dance the next time she's in town... if that's okay with you."

"That would be nice," Nicole said nervously. "Thank you."

"Really... what is it?" Sharon had to know.

"I shouldn't say anything, but my mother is convinced Dad is making things up about you, and I thought she was right. Dad has a hard time with the truth sometimes. But he's not lying about you, is he."

"Your father has a hard time with letting people down," Sharon felt the need to correct her. "As for lying about me, I don't know what he's said."

"Just that you know things, that you know people. That you do your job because you love it, not because you need the money."

"He's said that?" Sharon raised her eyebrow.

"Well... not in so many words, I guess. Mom just thought Dad was making all of that up to make himself sound more important. She couldn't see how someone like you would be interested in my dad.

"Oh..." was all Sharon said, wondering at the thought.

"Anyway, it's nice to know my dad isn't lying about you. I'm glad he has you. He needs some good things in his life to replace all the bad."

"Thank you. Yes he does, and if you don't mind me saying it, all he wants to make life better is to spend more time with you and your family, and your brother. That's when he's happiest."

Nicole smiled sadly, "It's so strained though. That's why I'm glad when you are there. I noticed the way you touch Dad's arm to calm him, or touch his back to make him feel strong. You make all the difference."

"You're giving me too much credit. All you need to do is spend more time with him, and it will get easier, I promise. That's all he wants."

"I want to invite him for Christmas," Nicole started softly.

"He would love that."

"Would you come?" The question was asked with great hesitation.

"I don't know..." Sharon began.

"That's okay," Nicole replied hastily, reaching for her bag and standing. "If you have plans already, you don't have to worry about it."

Sharon stood and moved around the desk to block Nicole's retreat. "Nicole, I think the best gift we can both give your father this year, is one-on-one time with you. I can't do anything to help my own children's relationship with their father, but I can help you and Andy."

"You'd give up Christmas with him for me?"

"Without hesitation," Sharon smiled at her. "However, I do suggest that it's only your father. If your mother is going to be there, I'll be there too, but I think this year you should kindly but firmly tell her you are spending the day with your dad."

"I came here to ask you what I should give him for Christmas. I figured you would know him better than anyone."

"Time and you. That's all he wants."

Nicole nodded, and stood a little taller. "Okay, then that's what he'll get. Thank you, again."

"I haven't done anything," Sharon reached over and squeezed Nicole's arm as they ended their conversation.

"You've done more for my family than you'll ever know."


	2. Chapter 2

Sharon double checked the address on her phone, then pulled her car over to the side and parked. Traffic was surprisingly heavy on the small street, given the time of day. She had no doubt it was used as a thoroughfare during rush hour to avoid the lights. It certainly wasn't the kind of neighbourhood she envisioned when she entered the address in her phone.

Running more than she wanted to avoid oncoming cars, she made it to the other side of the street. The small Post-war cottage was gated, so she pushed the grate and closed it behind her before she walked up and rang the doorbell.

Whatever she had been expecting, this was not it.

Andy looked just as confused when he saw her. "Captain?"

"Sharon, it's off-hours. I came to see you. Might I come in?"

"Oh, sure... sure... Sorry about that, come in."

The tweed wool of Andy's cardigan scratched her hand as she walked past him into the narrow entryway. "I'm sorry I didn't call ahead. I was just going to see if you were here."

"That's okay. I wasn't doing much," he confessed, putting his book down on the table so he could help her with her trench coat.

"What are you reading?" she asked, looking at the cover. The topic surprised her, and she couldn't keep the sound out of her voice, "the Bolshoi?"

"Yeah..." he sighed, "I need something to talk to my new grandsons about. They don't like baseball."

Sharon couldn't help the giggle. "Oh Andy, that must be so hard for you."

He saw the humour in it too, and chuckled. "It just means I've got stuff to teach them."

"When they see how much you love it, I'm sure they will change their minds."

"I hope so," he said wistfully. "I don't know how much time I'll get to talk about it, though. I don't see them very often."

"Mmm... we've got to work on that."

"We?" Andy's eyebrow raised at the reference as he watched her walk into the main living area.

Sharon was charmed instantly. She knew Andy Flynn to be a gruff teddy-bear, who was in your face and threatening when it was needed. She'd seen him push criminals into the wall with such force she was worried they would be sued. She'd also seen him hold the hand of a mother who had lost her child and was trying to grasp the overwhelming grief. She knew he bought many of the teddy bears that lived in the trunk of squad cars until they were needed for a scared girl or boy, even though he tried to do it without drawing attention to himself. He was a study in contradictions and the member of her squad that most intrigued her. Now being in his home, she saw a completely new level to the complex man.

She had never pictured him to be a reader, but the far wall of his home was lined with short bookcases. Above them pictures of family hung on the wall and covered the top surfaces. There were a few small pieces of sculpture, that had an obvious child's touch and who's beauty was seen by the heart as much as the eye. Laying haphazardly around the room were other books, magazines and coffee cups. A blanket was tossed over the back of a wingback chair, and slippers lay in the corner beside the coffee table. The entire room screamed it's masculine owner's presence, right down to the LAPD baseball trophy from years back, finding a place of lesser honour in the corner.

"Sorry, I would have cleaned up if I'd known you were coming."

"Nonsense, I came to see you, not your cleaning skills. Besides, I think it looks just fine... very comfortable and lived in."

Andy chuckled, "Lived in... yeah, it's that. Can I get you a cup of coffee or something?"

"Tea, if you have it."

"Yeah, I got tea. It's not the fancy stuff that you drink, but I've got some black tea and green tea. And I think I've got some mint somewhere."

"Mint would be lovely, thank you."

Andy grabbed the empty mugs, and motioned with his elbow for her to find a place to sit. Then he went into the kitchen, leaving Sharon alone to pick over piles on his coffee table.

"You are quite eclectic," Sharon said, when Andy returned with the heated mugs.

"Nah... I just get bored easily."

Sharon smiled, placing the book she was holding back on the table. "I doubt that. Dogs with bones would look at your drive in envy."

"Only in some things. Other stuff I think I should know, but I can't keep focused on it enough to learn anything. That Bolshoi book is boring the daylights out of me, but I gotta have something. Every time I'm with Nicole and her family, my ex keeps pointing out what I don't know. Little things like toe shoes have wood in them, and male ballet dancers are stronger than body builders."

"That's true, they have to pick up ballerinas almost like they are dead weight, and hold them above their heads, often walking at the same time."

"Yeah... about that, how do they do that?"

"Well, it helps that most ballerinas are barely one hundred pound. But what the audience doesn't see is that just as she's being picked up, she does a special little jump, so the men have momentum to work with."

"No kiddin'..." Andy was surprise and impressed.

"Mmm-hmm... and these dancers start out like your grandsons. They are trained right from an early age how to lift girls, so they don't hurt themselves or the girls. There is a lot of science in ballet. A lot of physics and biology. Nothing is left to chance."

"See, you know this stuff."

"I have a special reason to know about ballet. My daughter is a professional dancer, and I've spent years watching her and learning with her."

"I didn't know that either until Provenza told me. You don't talk about them much."

"No, I guess I don't. I compartmentalize a lot. They don't know much about my work, either."

"That's probably a good thing," Andy acknowledged.

"Yes, it was until my son started working in the Emergency Department of his hospital, and started to meet officers who weren't interested in protecting him from what could happen on the job. Now he worries too much. Major Crimes is often in the news, so he he hears it all."

"It's nice that he cares so much."

Sharon nodded, "Yes... but it also has it's drawbacks. He works crazy hours just like we do, so he can be up and ready to demand I prove that I'm okay at 2 AM, just when all I want to do is fall into bed and sleep for days. I love him for it, but it can be irritating. I don't think he can believe that his mother knows how to take care of herself."

"Well you're his mom. He sees you as homemade cookies and bandages on scraped knees. He doesn't see you chasing down a suspect and hitting a guy between the eyes at twenty paces."

Sharon laughed at the image. "You've got a point."

"At least your kids worry about you. Mine seem to forget I exist," Andy said sadly.

"I know for a fact that isn't true," Sharon changed the topic and watched Andy's reaction. When he didn't say anything or look up at her, she continued. "I had a visitor after everyone left for the day. Your daughter came to see me."

Andy looked up with a start, "Nicole went downtown? What did she want?"

Sharon was saddened to see the panic in Andy's face, and made every effort to alleviate it. "Well... she wanted to talk about you. She wanted to know what she should get you for Christmas."

"Huh? Why would she ask you?"

"It seems she is under the impression that we are quite close."

"Oh..." Andy sounded dejected and lowered his gaze again, "about that..."

"Don't bother. I think I figured it out."

Looking up with suspicion, Andy asked, "Figured out what?"

"Well... there are Acts of Commission, and Acts of Omission, and I suspect you omitted complete honesty with your family as to the nature of our relationship."

Andy hung his head again, "Listen Sharon..."

"What did you tell them about us? About me?" she asked softly.

He sighed heavily, but didn't look up from his cup. "I don't know why I didn't explain it. I told them you were my friend, just like we agreed, but they took the word 'friend' to a whole new level. I didn't embellish or nothing, I just didn't stop them when they did. My ex is convinced you're a lie and that I'm the liar, and that someone as great as you would never be interested in a guy like me. I just get tired of hearing that, you know what I'm saying?" He finally looked up at her, hoping she understood what he wasn't saying.

Sharon nodded, "She does seem to take every opportunity to put you down."

Andy laughed without mirth, "Yeah, you can say that again. I don't know why she even bothered with me to begin with, seeing as how she thinks I'm the worst human being on the planet. I can't do nothing right. If it's not my job, it's my language or how I dress. And she's never going to let me forget I'm a drunk and ruined my family."

"We have a term for that, you know?"

"What, being an alcoholic?"

"No, I'm talking about your ex-wife. We call that a mental and emotional abuser. I don't want to make excuses for your drinking, Andy, but if she was like that years ago, I can see why you would drink more than you should."

"I'm not going to put that on her. I did what I did. I'm not going to give myself an out."

Sharon smiled knowingly, "No... of course you won't. That's what makes her even more cruel. You have taken responsibility for both your own poor behaviour and hers. You don't deserve that."

"Maybe..." Andy looked down at his cup again, "but she's still right, and I have to admit to my family that I'm a fraud. Nicole won't want anything to do with me after that. I've been trying to come up with some way out of it, but there's none."

"Truth is a good way."

"Yeah..." he sighed. "Guess I won't need the books on the ballet anyway. It's not like I'm going to get to see those boys too often."

"Don't be so sure. Nicole came to me, remember. She wants to know what to give you for Christmas. She's not blocking you out of her life."

"Yeah, but that's only because she thinks I'm in a good place. When she knows I've lied, again, she'll close the door for sure."

Sharon leaned forward on the sofa, trying to catch his eye. "Andy... I don't think you're giving her enough credit. And I know you're not giving yourself enough credit. What exactly did you tell them about me?"

Andy shrugged. "Not much... um... I've told them you look great in pink, and I think it's your favourite colour."

"It is, and thank you."

Smiling, he continued, "I said you drive a volvo. When they asked me if you'd be around over Christmas, I said probably not because you usually go skiing in Utah, and stay with your parents at their chalet. I've said you scare me with how you run in those designer heels. Uh... one time we were going to meet at a restaurant and I suggested a sushi place where you like to order delivery. The food's pretty good there. I guess they were surprised I eat sushi. Honestly Sharon, I haven't told any whoppers about you."

Sharon's eyes were twinkling when Andy looked up, and the look of confusion on his face made her laugh out loud.

"What?"

"Oh Andy..." she giggled.

"What?" he said again. "It's all true."

"It's little wonder your ex-wife wants to put me down and call you out for lying, if that's the image they have of me."

"But that's you! You do run in those ridiculous heels. Not very much, but I've seen it. And you like that restaurant. You even told me it was a favourite of yours." He shrugged as he continued, "Nicole seemed to really like those little things about you, so when she assumed me and you were more friendly than we were, I didn't have the heart to tell her she was wrong. I'm sorry."

"That's okay."

"No, it's not. I lied to them."

"Andy, you didn't lie, you just didn't clarify. The reason your ex-wife is so hostile about me is because you've made me sound larger than life."

"Believe me, you are," he said under his breath, earning another smile.

"That's very sweet of you. I understand the situation now, and I also understand Nicole's reaction."

"What reaction?"

"Andy, your daughter feels caught between you and her mother, and from what I can see, your ex-wife that is driving this whole situation. She is trying to make you look bad to Nicole."

"Yeah... well she's good at that."

"Precisely, and she's had years of practice. Nicole doesn't want to believe her, but she doesn't know how to stand up to her mother. You have to help her with that."

"Help her?" Andy looked confused.

"Andy, your ex-wife is a bitch."

Once the initial shock of the words receded, he nodded, "Yeah... that's true. But what can I do?"

"You've still got your buffer. I told Nicole that she should spend time with you, alone. I also told her if her mother insists she be there, then I will be there too."

"You'd do that for me?" Andy looked incredulous.

Sharon smiled. "Of course. You deserve someone in your corner more than anyone I know."


	3. Chapter 3

Sharon thought about Andy's situation all the way home, in fact she realized she had been so lost in thought she didn't even remember the drive. Rarely had she been so distracted, and she knew she had to do something about it.

"Rusty, I'm home," she called, when she entered the house.

"Good, I'm starving."

"Hello to you, too," she replied sarcastically.

"Sorry, you just said you were leaving work almost two hours ago."

"I texted you to tell you I had an errand to run."

"I know, I just thought it would be faster," he slumped down on the sofa.

Sharon shook her jacket off and toed her shoes by the front door, then sat down on the sofa beside him. "What's really going on?"

"What's going on?" he looked at her surprised. "I'm under house arrest, I don't know if you'll let me help find the guy who's threatening me, I am a witness in a trial that never starts, and I'm starving. Isn't that enough?"

Humming and nodding, Sharon pulled one of the cushions to her chest and hugged it. "My, that's a lot of first person pronouns."

Rusty just looked at her, "What? You're giving me a grammar lesson? Now?"

Chucking, she shook her head, "No, actually, you've given me an idea. The errand I ran earlier was to Lt. Flynn's house."

"Is something wrong?" Rusty looked surprised. Sharon didn't go to her squad's houses. Even when she dropped him off to spend time with Kevin Tao, she didn't go inside.

"Mmm, yes and no. His personal life is a little challenging at the moment, and I've been trying to think of ways to make things easier for him. Perhaps if you help me, that might get you thinking about someone else for a change."

"Sharon, I'm always thinking about someone else," Rusty huffed, which earned him a look.

Getting up from the sofa, Sharon put the pillow back in place and went to her desk to open her computer.

Rusty watched her type for a few minutes, and huffed again. "So that's it? All you want to do is think about Lt. Flynn and I have to make my own supper?"

Sharon glanced at him over the top of her glasses frame again, but said nothing.

"This is the part where I shut my mouth before I say anything more to get in trouble, right?"

"That would be one suggestion," she said dryly.

"It's just..." he started.

Sharon quickly put her hand up, bringing silence to the room, then finished what she was doing. "Okay," she announced finally, "I've ordered pizza for us, and I've just sent messages to Ricky and Melissa asking them to facetime in about an hour."

"Facetime? What's going on, Sharon?"

"I told you, you've given me an idea. I realize most of your mood is because your stomach is empty, and I do apologize Rusty. It's been a few days since I had the opportunity to shop for groceries, and there's not much in the house to eat."

"So you're not mad at me?" he looked up unsure of himself.

"Mad?"

"Well, I've been pretty unfriendly since you walked in."

"That's true, but what you don't seem to understand is how happy I am when you act like a typical teenage boy. Being belligerent when you're hungry is normal. There was a time when you wouldn't be that honest. But enough about you, okay? When I said it's time for you to think about someone else, I mean it. I want us to work on something that has nothing to do with you or me or the LAPD or the trial or the person sending you threatening letters."

"What's going on?" Rusty was starting to get worried. "Is Lt. Flynn alright? I mean is he sick or something? I heard about him passing out and having problems last summer. Is he worse?"

"No thankfully, he seems to be on track with that. No, his issues are with his family."

"His family? I forgot Lt. Flynn had a family."

"Mmm... that might be part of the problem. He doesn't talk about them at all, and he doesn't have many pictures on his desk. Rusty, Lt. Flynn has a son as well as the daughter who's wedding I attended over the summer. They are just a bit older than Ricky and Melissa. He doesn't talk to his son very much, but he's trying to spend more time with his daughter and it doesn't always go well."

"Why not?" Rusty was surprised to hear Sharon speak so openly about Lt. Flynn. The one thing everyone could count on with Sharon was that she didn't gossip or tell other people's stories without their permission. He wasn't sure how to take her interest in the Lieutenant.

"Mmm... well a number of reason. First his ex-wife is quite determined to punish him for everything that went wrong in their marriage, even though she's been remarried for years."

"Doesn't the other guy mind?"

"What are you suggesting?" Sharon was surprised and hadn't thought about Nicole's stepfather.

"I dunno, it just sounds like she's still hung up on Lt. Flynn, otherwise why would she even care?"

"Mmm... I never thought of that... You're might be on to something," Sharon replied, looking off in the distance.

"Yeah, I mean if I liked someone and all they did was talk about their ex, I'd wonder if they were really interested in me."

The phone interrupted them, and Sharon answered to buzz in the pizza delivery person. After the guards at the door thoroughly checked the pizza and drinks, she paid for the delivery and brought it to the dining table. Their conversation forgotten as they ate. Only a bell from the computer reminded Sharon that something else needed her attention. Bringing it over to the dining table, Sharon adjusted the computer so both she and Rusty could see the screen.

"Hey kids," she greeted her son and daughter as they signed on to Facetime.

"You summoned, we obey," Ricky replied, with a rolling bow. Sharon couldn't help but giggle.

"Good! How are you two?"

"Hey Mom," Melissa started, "you texted this morning. Not much has changed. I get up. I work. I come home. It's the Christmas season, so we have more performances. Is... is that pizza you're eating?"

"Yeah, it's good too," Rusty teased her. Since moving in with Sharon, Rusty had gotten to know her kids and quite liked their sense of humour. It surprised him in the beginning that they were so lighthearted when Sharon was always so serious. But as he got to know her, he realized Sharon had a really great sense of humour, you just had to look for it. She wasn't slapstick or sit-com, she was dry British wit. It took him awhile to get used to it.

Melissa groaned, "I'd kill for pizza."

"Just a few more weeks, Honey," Sharon smiled at her. "You can start eating it again after your show ends.

"I know... I just hate being this disciplined."

"You'd hate the sluggish feeling after eating it more, though," Sharon reminded her.

"Yeah," Melissa sighed. "Are you almost done, because watching Rusty devour his food isn't helping one bit.

"It's pepperoni and olives and three kinds of cheese with hamburger," Rusty rubbed it in, earning a swat from Sharon.

"Be nice!" she said to him, with a touch of laughter in her voice.

"You are a cruel, cruel person, Rusty Beck," Melissa said, shaking her head.

"Okay you two," Ricky intervened, "Some of us are professionals with real careers that we need to get back to."

Sharon snorted while Melissa laughed, "Yeah, you tell yourself that, big brother. We all know the nurses are running the show."

Ricky rolled his eyes, "Whatever... seriously Mom, why the summons? Something wrong?"

Sharon wiped her mouth and put her food down. "I'm fine, we're both fine. I really want your opinions on something. One of my officers is having difficulties with his daughter, and I want to help. I want to create something special for Christmas to help their relationship. She's not that much older than you two, and her mother is causing problems."

Melissa started to smile, "One of your officers you say... rhymes with win?"

"Hmmm," Ricky started pulling on his chin, pretending to be deep in philosophical thought, "I dare say Mother does seem especially attached to the fellow."

Sharon rolled her eyes, "Be serious, you two."

"It's not how serious we are that's at issue," Melissa giggled.

Rusty looked from the computer to Sharon, "Did I miss something?"

"It's probably better that you have, buddy," Rick assured him.

"Okay kids, you have lives to live and I brought work home with me. Can we please stay on topic," Sharon chastised them, earning another giggle from Melissa.

"Sure Mom," Ricky sobered, "what are you thinking?"

"I don't know, really. What... I know this is going to be hard for you, but if your father came back into the picture, what would make it easier for you?"

Melissa rolled her eyes and turned away while Ricky blew a long breath.

"Look kids," Sharon said gently, "I know this is hard and we all know the likelihood of it happening for you is pretty slim. Your father has let us all down too many times. But I really need your insight."

Ricky rallied first, "What's the issue with this guy, Mom?"

"He's a recovering alcoholic, Honey. He's been sober for almost twenty years, but before that he was pretty negligent with his kids."

"We know that one," Melissa said.

Sharon smiled thoughtfully, "I know you do, Sweetheart. The thing is I tried to keep things positive for you two about your father. Maybe I made a mistake in doing that, but I thought it was best. Andy's ex-wife made the opposite decision and told her kids he was no good. Seeing how strong the two of you are, and how unsure of herself Andy's daughter is, I think I made the better choice."

"Okay, let me get this straight, Andy... interesting that we're using his first name..."

"Melissa..." Sharon sounded a warning.

"Alright, alright. So Andy's daughter, what was her name again?"

"Nicole."

"Right Nicole doesn't know if she can have a good relationship with Andy, but he wants to after all these years. Has he been gone the whole time?"

Sharon tilted her head and thought about it for a moment, "No... no I think he was around. I know he paid child support when his kids were growing up, and and he's got pictures of them over the years at his house, so he was definitely in their lives."

"More than we got," Ricky said bitterly.

Sharon smiled gently at her son, "I know... and I'm sorry if this is hurting you."

"It's okay Mom, you get dealt the hand you get. We got a looser. Your officer sounds like he's a better father."

"He's trying to be, but every time he makes an effort, his ex-wife criticizes him. I've met her..."

"And I'm thinking she's a beotch?" Melissa said in a sing-song manner.

"I don't really like that word, Melissa. But I did use it to describe her recently."

"I think she's jealous," Rusty contributed, after finishing his food.

"Jealous how?" Ricky asked, folding his arms and looked at Rusty to continue.

Rusty shrugged, "I dunno... just why else would she be so hung up on Lt. Flynn after all this time.

"That does make sense," Melissa said. "I've seen a picture of him and he's really good looking."

"When did you see his picture?" Sharon was surprised.

Melissa shrugged, "When you started talking about him last summer, I googled him. I think I remember him from when I was younger, but I'm not sure."

"You might have seen him." Sharon nodded.

_Paging Dr. Raydor, Dr. Richard Raydor_, the sound came over the intercom.

"Mom, I've gotta go," Rick said, rising from his seat and looking more closely into his camera. "All I can say, is I'd like to be proud of Dad. I don't even care if he talks to me, I just wish I could say his name without feeling like I never mattered or that he wasn't a loser."

"Okay Honey. And thanks for that. I'll talk to you later."

"Yup," Ricky said, and his screen went blank.

"I've really got to call him later and see if he's okay."

"Mom, this is just the way it is. There's only so much you can do to make it better. But the good news is you were more than a mother and father to us, so we didn't really suffer. We just get reminded of what we missed out on when we hear stories like this Andy person making so much effort. It's kind of like... what's wrong with us that our father won't do that."

"There's nothing wrong with you, Sweetheart." Sharon looked directly at the computer and willed her daughter to understand the depth of her meaning.

Melissa smiled cheekily, "Of course not. It's Dad's loss. Okay, about Andy..."

Sharon realized the topic was closed, and her heart broke for her children once more. They really deserved better.

"Ricky said he would like to be proud of Dad, and I think that makes sense. Nicole has probably heard so many stories about how bad he is that she can't remember how good he is. Why don't you find a way to remind her?"

"Mmm..." Sharon nodded, and looked off again. "That's a good idea. She needs to know about that. Thanks, Sweetheart."

"You're welcome. Hey, can you contact the AA people or whoever got him to stop drinking? They might be able to reassure her that he doesn't drink anymore so she can stop worrying about that."

"Another great idea. I obviously went to the right people." Sharon smiled.

"I still think you have to take out the ex-wife," Rusty said, having listened to the conversation. He knew a thing about parental neglect, but he also knew something about jealousy.

"We'll see," Sharon said noncommittally. "Okay Missy, I have another request," she said, turning back to the computer.

Melissa rolled her eyes at the nickname, but didn't say anything. "Yeah? What's up?"

"Well... the other week I attended the Nutcracker with Lt. Flynn's family."

"Oh yeah, how did that go?"

"It was fine. It was quite nice actually, and Nicole's step-sons were really cute. They are quite interested in ballet and I want to give them something unique."

"You're wanting to give Andy's step-grandsons a Christmas gift?" Melissa smirked.

"Yes..." Sharon said slowly, with an undertone of warning that Melissa didn't want to push her assumptions too far.

"Okay," Melissa responded, getting her mother's secondary message loud and clear. "What can I do for you?"

"I was thinking, perhaps some pictures of yourself and the male leads in your company. Signed, maybe. Something unique like that. Their names are Tyler and Matthew."

Melissa shook her head back and forth, "Yeah... that can be arranged. Any particular reason you are giving these kids a Christmas present?"

"Well, it won't be from me, I'll give it to Lt. Flynn to give to the boys. He needs a leg up on this conflict with his ex-wife. Apparently one of her favourite things to say is that Andy is lying about everything, and he's told them you are a professional dancer. It might make a difference if he can produce evidence to back up his claim."

"Huh... this Andy guy, we like him, right?"

"Melissa..." Sharon warned again.

"No Mom, I'm serious. This guy is worth all this effort?"

"Yes, Sweetheart, he is."


	4. Chapter 4

Sharon walked swiftly into the offices of FID the next morning. Any one who knew her could recognize she was on a mission, and they all knew better than to get in her way. She stopped just before she got to her former office, and veered off to see one of the longterm members of the squad. Trevor Feildings sat at his desk, feet up and looking at a file. She was relieved to see him sitting there as he always had, clothing ruffled, glasses perched on the tip of his nose, muttering to himself as he read something he didn't like.

"Captain Raydor. You lost?"

Sharon smiled, "No, I came to see you."

"Me? Well I'm honoured. So what can I do for the officer who has crossed back into friendly territory?"

"Trevor..." she addressed her old colleague, "you know me better than that. There are no sides in my world, only people doing their job."

Trevor chuckled, "Yeah, that always was your gift. Never mind what people think of you, just be professional and get the job done. You're still doing that, I hear."

"I imagine the gossip is just as active as ever."

"Don't knock it, you're one of the LAPD stars. Not many of us ever get out of Internal Affairs, and when we do we never land on top of the most elite squad. Pat yourself on the back. Someone was obviously paying attention and knew how well you do your job.

Sharon smiled, "Thank you Trevor, that's really kind."

"You're welcome, and now that the small talk is over, how's about you tell me what you're really after."

"Perceptive as ever, I see," Sharon smirked. "I never could get anything passed you."

"You never needed to, I did anything you wanted. Who've you got to take my place now? Any of those guys up there smart enough to worship you yet?"

Andy's face came unbidden to her mind, but she pushed it away. "I don't need to be worshiped, Trevor. I'm here because I need Lt. Andrew Flynn's file."

"Huh, that guy causing you problems? We could investigate him again you know, just to remind him you still have friends in our division. It's been awhile since we needed to reel him in."

Sharon shook her head quickly, "No, it's nothing like that. I just need his file. I've read it often enough, but I have to go back and check some things."

Trevor gave Sharon a hard look, trying to suss out what was really going on. "I thought all managers had files on their squads. Don't you have enough on him upstairs?"

She shifted from foot to foot for a moment, then leaned over Trevor's desk, hoping anyone who was watching them mistook her stance for anger. "Please keep your voice down. I'm asking you to skirt the process a little bit. His personnel file is all I have. I need more."

"Sharon," Trevor hissed, keeping his shock between the two of them, "have they corrupted you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're asking me to break policy. You know I can't give that level of information to anyone outside of Internal Affairs. You even wrote some of those policies yourself, or have you forgotten."

Sharon stood and placed a hand on her hip, while the other massaged her forehead. This wasn't going as she had hoped. "Trevor, it's important."

Trevor came around the edge of his desk and faced Sharon, "What are you looking for specifically? What are you up to?"

Sharon's shoulders dropped, "You're right, I shouldn't be asking you this. I'm sorry. I should be going."

As she turned, Trevor touched her arm. "Sharon, we go back a long time. What do you need?"

Looking at the sincerity in his eyes, Sharon decided to lay all her cards on the table. "Trevor, I'm working on a project and I need some of the information in Lt. Flynn's file, specifically his commendations, citations, pictures and letters from the public."

"Huh," he looked at her, crossing his arms and leaning back on his heels. "So, we're talking about the positive stuff then."

"Yes."

"Well, if I recall correctly, the rational for keeping those files private was so no one would have ammunition to hurt another officer."

Sharon's eyes lit up when she realized what Trevor was suggesting. "Exactly. The rules stipulate that all oversight is to be kept between the officer in question and the Internal Affairs officer assigned their case. The supervising officer is only made aware in a case by case, need to know basis."

"And since I can assume you aren't going to use any of that information to harm the reputation or employment of said officer..." he said, leaving it open for her to continue.

"No, I only want the positive things in his file, nothing more. Anything that would be in keeping with the Public Records Act. One of the things I made a point of with each officer is recording the positive things as well as the negative, so we would have a fuller picture of each officer. I know I did that with Lt. Flynn over the years."

"You're not going to tell me any more than that it's for a project?"

"Trevor... as Lt. Flynn's Commanding Officer, I find myself in the position of needing to encourage and support him, and I feel seeing his past record and the difference he has made in the LAPD would be beneficial." Sharon hoped Trevor would take her at face value, because she knew she was stretching the truth to it's outer limits.

"Is this an official request?"

"I'd rather it not be on the books at all."

"Geez Sharon," he leaned in closer, "two years with that bunch and you're violating protocol without a care or concern. I never thought they'd get to you like this."

Sharon chuckled and quickly thought what Provenza would say at the moment, then she sobered. "Trevor, I've not been corrupted, I'm trying to work within the rules."

"Keep telling yourself that. Okay... I guess we still owe you one down here. I'll try to find some downtime and look through the records to pull something together for you. You're wanting originals, I assume." When Sharon nodded, he continued. "I'll keep this to myself, but you have to return what I give you ASAP, understand? The last thing I need is someone looking over my shoulder, or worse yet, thinking the former head of IA is manipulating our department."

"Oh Trevor, I hope you don't..."

He shook her off, "Nah... we've got too much water under the bridge to worry about that. So tell me something... is Lt. Flynn worth this effort?"

Sharon was taken aback and looked at Trevor, "You are the second person who's asked me that in the last 24 hours. Yes, he is worth it. He is a good officer, does his job without complaint or compromise, and seems to have gotten over whatever was making him difficult all those years."

"He just needs an ego boost," Trevor supplied studying her and trying to find some answers. "Alright, Sharon. You'll have what you need, and I hope this guy appreciates the efforts you're making."

True to his word, Trevor had an envelope delivered to Sharon before the end of the day. Inside the note read, 'This is most of it. I'm still looking and it's a large box. I included a few extras to show what a good guy is he, since that seems to be what you're looking for.' Sharon smiled at the note. She remembered Andy's file well, having lugged it to more than a few disciplinary hearings.

Sharon looked out the windows of her office. There was a lull as paperwork had been completed and her team was chatting away, hoping no bodies would be found before the end of day. Since they were all occupied and none of them were looking her way, she carefully emptied the contents of the envelop on her desk and sorted through each piece. Trevor had done a masterful job finding old pictures and letters of support. Even though Andy had a reputation of being one of the bad boys of the LAPD, he also had did stellar job, which was the reason most people overlooked his faults.

Smiling, she pushed pictures aside to pick up newspaper clippings and thank you notes. When she came across one of the 'extras' Trevor spoke of, she sat back in her chair and gasped. It was perfect and exactly what she had been looking for.

Picking up her phone, she called Buzz, "Would you come in here please?"

"You wanted to see me?" Buzz said, after he knocked and he was called in.

Sharon looked up, and she could see Andy watching them out of the corner of her eye. She needed to look casual. "Yes, could you sit down please."

Buzz looked uncomfortable, but did as he was asked. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, not at all," she reassured him, and wished for the millionth time that he felt more confident of his place in the squad. "I need your help, and it's personal."

Buzz looked at her, and frowned slightly. "Personal, Captain? Part of my job description assures that I won't be asked to do favours. I made sure of that after former members of this squad took my skills for granted."

Sharon pursed her lips, the irony was not lost on her that everyone was reminding her of the rules as she was trying to push them aside. Andy kept watching her, which made the conversation even harder.

"You are absolutely right, Buzz, and while this is personal it involves property of the LAPD. I need you to do something that I can't properly do myself."

"What is it, Captain?"

"You are the only one to see this, are we clear?"

"Very."

"Okay, I have in my possession pictures and articles of interest from Lt. Flynn's file."

"Is the Lieutenant in some kind of trouble."

Sharon shook her head quickly, "No, nothing like that, and he can see us talking so please don't turn to look at him."

"Um... okay."

"All I need is for you to take this envelope, scan everything, and put it on the USB key I've place inside. And I don't want any record of the materials in this file being saved anywhere."

"Captain," Buzz shifted in his chair uncomfortably, "I don't..."

"Buzz, please, I'm doing this for Lt. Flynn."

"Then why can't he know?"

Sharon rubbed her forehead, the whole project was starting to give her a headache. "I'm going to ask for a little leeway here, Buzz. I just need digital copies of everything as soon as possible. Please don't ask me anything more than that."

"Captain..." he started again.

"I'll pay you. You name a price and I'll pay you for your time."

"You're not trying to bribe me..."

Sharon put her hands up, "Not at all. This is me recognizing your professional abilities outside of your employed status, and offering you appropriate payment commensurate with your skills."

Buzz nodded, "Actually, I'd rather have some more time off. This is me negotiating."

Sharon couldn't help the giggle that erupted. "I'll see what I can do. You work very hard for this department and you do deserve more time away."

He looked at the thick envelope on the desk, "Is that it?" he asked.

"Yes, and I need high quality scans, which is why I'm asking you to do it."

"Will I ever know what this is for?"

"After Lt. Flynn sees it, I'll make sure he thanks you himself."

"And I'm not to let anyone know about this before hand."

"No one."

Sighing, Buzz picked up the envelope, "All right, Captain."

"Thank you Buzz. This means a great deal."

Nodding, Buzz left the office. Sharon sat back and let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She hoped Buzz wouldn't take long so that her project would be ready on time. Then she sat up at her desk again, shook her head to change her focus, and resumed the reports she had been writing.


	5. Chapter 5

Sharon was packing up her office when a knock distracted her. Looking up she saw Buzz in her doorway.

"Captain," he said, holding out the envelope.

"Already?"

Buzz shrugged, his face as inscrutable as ever.

"Thank you," Sharon smiled, taking the envelope from him. "I know he's going to appreciate this."

"He should," Buzz replied, without any sense of ego. "There's some really nice cards and references in there. I fixed some of it, enhancing the photos and making sure all the writing was legible."

"Buzz, you didn't have to do that, but thank you for your added touches. I'm looking forward to seeing it all."

"If there's nothing else, Captain..."

"Not at this time. If I receive anything more along these lines, would you do it again?"

"Yes. Our same deal would apply?"

"Definitely."

Buzz nodded and left her office.

Sharon couldn't wait to see what Buzz had scanned for her. She carefully removed the USB key from the envelope, then put the rest in her top drawer and locked it. Planning on returning the contents of the envelope the next morning, she smiled to herself and quickly grabbed the rest of her belongings to leave.

Hours later, long after dinner was over, Sharon sat in her living room with her feet up on the sofa. Rusty had decided to make an early night of it, so she showered, got into her pajamas, poured a glass of wine, grabbed her computer and the key, and sat to enjoy the bounty.

Item after item scrolled by, making her happier than she imagined. She saw a letter from and eight year old who's father Andy found before it was too late, thanking him and saying he wanted to be just like Andy when he grew up. There was another from a widow who hadn't been as fortunate, thanking him for attending her husband's funeral. It meant the world to her to know that her husband wasn't just another number to the LAPD. There were a couple of interviews from local papers, pictures of award ceremonies, and the letter from the then Chief when Andy made Lieutenant. Throughout there were the occasional baseball pictures of the LAPD and the LAFD getting together for a charity baseball game, a few casual pictures from various social events, and an unpublished article from the defunct LAPD newsletter talking about Andy and the teddy bears.

Sharon clicked on the program she chosen to use to make everything presentable, and started to create. She had decided on a chronological placement, telling his story over the years. It amused her to no end as she watched his hair change from black to grey. For all of Andy's swagger, he had never been vain about his looks, he simply looked good in every situation.

After working on it for awhile, she decided to add a different section about Andy's partners and fellow team members over the years. Accessing the LAPD database, she downloaded a number of pictures and commented with her own memories as she went. One picture surprised her and made her laugh. She had known Andy for years, but didn't realize they had been captured in a photograph together. How long ago was that, she wondered, the date obscure.

Looking at all of the pictures, Sharon realized she needed to bring one more person into her secret project and hoped he would be amenable.

"You're still up?" Rusty spoke and surprised her.

Sharon looked at the time on her computer. "Oh, I didn't even notice," she said when she realized she had worked well passed midnight. "Why are you up?"

Rusty shrugged, "I was hungry."

She nodded and smiled, then watched him walk to the kitchen and rummage around.

"Whatcha working on?" he said around half a sandwich.

"You shouldn't talk with your mouth full."

"Yeah, yeah, don't change the subject," he rolled his eyes.

Sharon stretched and put away her computer, "It's just work related, Honey."

Rusty seemed satisfied with the answer. He sat down at the table and had his sandwich ingested in four bites.

"Don't you chew?" Sharon couldn't help asking.

He shrugged again, and returned his plate to the counter, then wiped up his crumbs. "You should really get some sleep."

Sharon smiled at the boy, always the caretaker. "Yes, I'm going now. You should too."

Rusty nodded then turned towards his bedroom, "Goodnight, Sharon."

"Night..."

A few hours later, Sharon was not as energetic as she had been, and groaned when the alarm rang. Realizing it wasn't an alarm, she reached for her phone. "Yes Lieutenant," she croaked.

"Sorry to wake you, Captain."

"That's okay, what's happened?" She looked at the time and was amazed at the hour.

"I'm here at the office, and I'm afraid to say another letter has arrived."

Sharon sat up immediately alert. "Who is it addressed to?"

"Ah..." Provenza stumbled, "this one is addressed to you. By my count this makes five. I've already copied it and will be sending it down to the lab in an hour when this place opens for business."

"Thank you for telling me. What does it say?"

"Ah... _Dear Sharon, I hope you are enjoying the holidays. It's always hard to find that perfect gift, isn't it? With any luck all of your boys will appreciate your efforts._ That's all it says, Captain. Does that mean anything to you?"

Sharon's heart beat wildly in her chest. What did this person know about her? "I... I'm not sure. It could mean anything. It could mean he knows about Ricky but not Melissa, the boys could mean the squad, or maybe Rusty and Jackson, since they've both been seen with me. Or he could just be grasping at straws."

"No matter what, it's obvious he's been following you, too. I'm going to say it again, Captain, I think you should have your own security detail."

"Lieutenant, we've been over this. When I'm at work, I'm perfectly safe, and at home I have Rusty's detail. Besides, anything extra would make Rusty suspicious, and I don't want him to know about these letters."

"Sharon..."

"Louie, no. That's final."

"I don't like it."

"You've made that point perfectly clear on a number of occasions."

"That kid needs you, Sharon. We can't let anything happen to you."

Sharon smiled into the phone, and laid back on her pillow. "Thank you, and I know that. I don't intend to have anything happen. You seem to forget I'm armed and have quite a few years under my belt... my _Black Belt_," she emphasized.

"Yeah, yeah... you kick ass. We know that, but another pair of eyes wouldn't hurt."

"The only thing that is going to make this better is to catch this letter writer."

"Yes, that would be nice. Any more thought about letting Rusty do what he wants to do?"

"He's meeting with Dr. Joe again. My instincts say this is all wrong."

"You've got to let him do it, Sharon. He's going to one way or another, so it's better with us in control."

"Are we really in control?" Sharon sighed.

"We'll get this guy. Don't you worry."

"I hope you're right. Listen Lieutenant, I was going to call you today anyway, but since I have you on the phone I'll ask now. Could we meet for breakfast in about an hour? I'm working on something and I could really use your help."

"That sounds intriguing. Care to tell me what this is about?"

"I will if you can meet me. Rusty doesn't have to be at the office until later this morning, so I can meet with you somewhere between my home and the office, and then return to pick him up for his appointment. This is a private matter and I don't want any of the team knowing about it."

"That cafe you like, in an hour?"

"That would be perfect. Thank you."

Sharon walked into the cafe exactly an hour later. Looking around she saw that Provenza hadn't yet arrived, so she placed her order and found a seat.

"Ah..." Provenza said as he saw her and moved to join her at the table. "So, what are we here to talk about? I assume it's not more about the letters."

"No Lieutenant, it's a personal matter and I need your help."

"I'm listening."

Sharon told Provenza about the situation between Andy and his daughter, and the gift she was working on that might help make things better.

"But now I need personal effects. I noticed he has many items in his home that would be perfect, but I can't very well ask him myself."

"So... I take it you want me to occupy him while you invade his home."

Sharon tipped her head back and forth, "In a manner of speaking, yes."

"And while I have Andy occupied, how do you expect to get into his home? Or can I guess."

"Well..." she started, putting her coffee mug on the table, "I'm quite able to pick locks, but I thought a more reasonable method was to borrow your key. Yes?"

Provenza sat back and laughed. "You're really something, Captain. Is there an underhanded trick you won't play, so long as you can justify it with your rulebook, of course."

Sharon's eyes widened, "Underhanded? Not at all. I'm merely suggesting the most expedient way to get the necessary items, with the intent of helping one of our fellow officers with a personal issue."

"And there it is, the Raydor justification. I've been working with you long enough to see how this works. All right, Captain, I'll play along, but if it goes well I want some of the credit. And if it bombs, I don't want any of the blame."

Sharon smiled at him, "Thank you. He needs this, and you know that."

Nodding, Provenza sat forward again, "He does, and you have a way of getting his head out of his ass for him. But tell me something, would you go to this effort for the rest of us?"

"What are you suggesting, Lieutenant."

"Ah... something along the lines of Teacher's Pet," he said crisply.

Sharon pulled the mantel of Captain over herself fully, and looked at Provenza. "Lieutenant, I don't play favourites. And may I remind you of last year, when Lt. Tao had that case return on him that needed to be solved another way? I didn't leave him to deal with it on his own. I made sure every effort was made to prove Mr. Reichman guilty again. I even pushed Fritz Howard into making the FBI pay for the widow to be flown in. I would most certainly go to the mat for any of you. That's my job."

Provenza put his hands up in surrender and chuckled, "Okay, okay, you've made your point. Yeah, I'll help you. I'll give you the key and the security code, and I'll get Flynn out of the way. He's still stressing about Christmas gifts for his new grandkids, so I'll take him shopping. I'll even look through my things to see what I can contribute. I've known the idiot for a long time, and I'm sure I've got something. But just as an aside, you think your stalker knows about this and that's what he was referring to?"

"I don't see how. I've only spoken to one of my former colleagues in Internal Affairs, Buzz, and now you. I trust each of you implicitly."

"Okay, you know better than I would. I'm just trying to find connections."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. One more question, do you have the name and number of his AA sponsor?"

"Yeah. But do you think that guy is going to talk to you, and tell you anything important?"

Sharon smiled indulgently, "Lieutenant... people always talk to me."


	6. Chapter 6

Sharon breezed into the office later that morning. "Good morning, everyone," she smiled.

"Ah, Captain," Provenza caught her attention, and she turned, "can I have a word?"

"Sure, come on in, Lieutenant."

Together they walked into her office and closed the door. "I hope you appreciate the efforts I'm making," he groused.

"Of course, and so will he once this is over."

"Alright, I'll go over my place later tonight. What do you want anyway?"

"Just pictures, that's all."

"Pictures of what?"

"Lieutenant, I have no idea what you might have. You've known him a lot longer and a lot better than I have."

"Alright, I'll see what I can find. Meanwhile..." he paused to pull an envelope out of his jacket pocket, "here's the stuff. The key is inside with the code. Please remember to set it again when you leave. I've also written the name and number of his sponsor. I've talked with him a few times. He's a good guy and he might give you what you want, just don't get too personal."

Sharon took the envelope and opened it, "Thank you, and I'll keep that in mind. What are you planning on doing to keep him occupied?"

"Well, I thought I'd take him down to Venice Beach to go shopping."

"Venice Beach?" Sharon raised her eyebrow in question.

"Look, it's different and I can guarantee his ex-wife won't be finding anything similar."

"I can imagine," Sharon replied sarcastically.

Ignoring her, Provenza pointed to the manilla envelope on her desk. "And that came while you were out. It says IA. Do I even want to know?"

"Probably not, Lieutenant."

"Alright," Provenza stood, "I'm taking the idiot within the next hour. I suggest you get going now."

"Right, and thank you again."

"Yeah, yeah..." he grumbled on his way out the door, "the things I do for you two..."

Sharon giggled to herself, then picked up the phone to call Buzz into her office. Although uncomfortable with the idea, he agreed to go with her to Andy's home.

Buzz left first and waited in the parking garage for Sharon. When she appeared she ushered him to her car and headed directly to their destination.

Andy's living room was much like she remembered. "Okay Buzz, we're making this quick. While I take the pictures out of their frames, I want you to get shots of all the children's artwork and his baseball trophy."

"Anything else?" Buzz asked wearily.

"Um... I don't know. I'll look around and tell you. I don't want to be here long."

"You and me both," he said under his breath.

"Buzz..." Sharon began, looking at him.

"Yes Captain?"

"Finish this up and take the next few days off."

Buzz looked at her suspiciously, "Are you serious?"

"Yes, even if you weren't helping me, you've earned it. It's at my discretion to decide if my staff is paid overtime or asked to take time in lieu. You take the time, and I'll find some extra hours along the way. A deal is a deal."

Smiling for the first time, Buzz nodded, "Thanks, Captain."

Sharon left Buzz to photograph everything in the living room, and proceeded to look over his kitchen, down the hall and into the bedrooms. She had a funny feeling seeing his bed disheveled, and it took a lot for her not to make it or smooth the pillows. Along the way, she pointed out items to Buzz.

"We're not going to dig into his drawers or anything, are we?"

"No, I wouldn't dream of it," she said hastily. "The items that matter to him most are the items on display. Anything put away is away for a reason."

"Good."

When the last item was photographed, Sharon looked around to see if everything was put back in it's original place. Then the two left after setting the security code again, and headed back to the office. Buzz made short work of editing his new photos and the additional items sent up from Internal Affairs, and was preparing to leave for the day.

"You heading out early?" Amy asked, all smiled and energy as usual.

"Yes, I've got plans with my sister."

"That's great. My family is in town and I can't wait to spend some quality time."

"Well, you enjoy," Buzz said, and headed to the elevator.

Sharon was in her office taking advantage of the quiet time to review the last of what Buzz had given her. Placing them artfully in her collection she looked over it to admire her composition. She knew Andy was going to love it, but there was more to be added.

Picking up the phone, she called the number of Andy's AA sponsor. "Hello, I'm calling for Sean Greene?"

When an affirmation was given on the other end, Sharon explained who she was and what she wanted. Sean agreed, with the understanding that she would only have access to limited information.

"I understand fully. Thank you for your willingness. I'm leaving the office now and should be with you in a little over thirty minutes."

After hanging up, Sharon went to tell Rusty she needed to run a quick errand, then left the office. Rusty was so engrossed in his chess game he hardly noticed.

Sharon easily found the coffee shop Sean had suggested, and was happy to greet him.

"So... you're the infamous Sharon Raydor," Sean said, leaning back in his seat.

"Oh dear," Sharon said looking from side to side. "Is that how I'm known?"

Sean shrugged, "Well... that's my own poetic license. I've always wondered if the legend fit the woman."

Sharon squirmed in her seat, "I wasn't aware that Lt. Flynn even spoke of me."

Sean sighed, "Oh, not much... only a time or sixty. So, what can I do for you?"

"Mmm... yes, well I've told you what I'm working on, and I was wondering if you would help me."

Sean studied her for a few moments, seemingly deciding whether or not she could be trusted. Sharon held steady under his gaze, but inwardly she was increasingly uncomfortable. This man already seemed familiar with her, but he was a complete stranger. Just as she was about to speak, Sean pulled some items out of his jacket pocket.

"You understand I'm not going to tell you anything Andy has said in confidence."

"No, I know and I completely respect that."

"Good. I can't give you anything that is directly from AA, but I can give you this." He proceeded to push a card across the table towards her.

Sharon picked it up and read the contents. "When was this written?" she asked.

"The date's on the back."

Sharon turned it over and saw the date, December 10, 1995. "Was this his final drink?" She didn't wait for an answer before reading the card again: _Why do I want to stop drinking? I'm doing it for Nicole and Jeremy. I want to be a good father to my kids._

"No," Sean admitted, "but that's the date he finally started putting an effort into it. That's something I asked him to do when I became his sponsor. I used to take it out every time we met, just to remind him why he was giving up the bottle. Christmas that year was hard on him and he slipped. But after a few drinks, he called me, and he was back on track.

"Mmm..." Sharon nodded, mentally calculating how old Nicole would have been at the time. "I'll be sure to get this back to you."

"Nah, you keep it. I haven't pulled that thing out in years. He doesn't even need a sponsor now, not really. We just get together, talk over stuff and so forth. He's doing his thing and he's never going back. He's one of my success stories. Why don't you give it to him as a present."

Sharon smiled and nodded, "I will. Thank you."

"I also brought this for you. It's the receipt from when I bought him his ring. I told him I was holding on to it, and if he ever drank again he owed me the cost of the thing, plus inflation."

Sharon laughed. "2000, so this was his fifth anniversary?"

"Yup. And here's some pictures of me giving it to him. The pictures I want back and if you're going to use them would you please crop your copy so no one else can be seen?"

"Of course, you have my word."

"Good enough," Sean nodded. "So... he's really stressing about this, isn't he."

"Yes, he is. The sad part is that Nicole is just as stressed and his ex-wife is taking every opportunity to undermine their relationship."

"I hope I never meet that bitch. I'd give her a piece of my mind for sure."

Sharon chuckled, "Well, it seems she's made that impression on a few of us."

"I'm gonna tell you something I think you need to hear, and I'm breaking my own rules on this one, so keep that in mind."

"Alright, go on..." Sharon encouraged, leaning in closer to give Sean her full attention.

"She's trying to use you as a wedge issue."

Sharon nodded, "I'd heard something to that effect."

"I've known Andy for almost twenty years, and I can guarantee if he's let you know that much, then it's a lot worse than he's admitting. He takes full responsibility even when he shouldn't."

"Yes, I know. That's why I'm doing this."

"He's one of the good guys."

"Mmm..." Sharon started, then heard her phone ring. "Excuse me a moment." Hearing the voice of Lt. Provenza on the other end, she nodded. "What do we know... Time of death... You're all there now, I assume... Mmm-hmm... Okay, I'm heading back to the office. Keep me informed, Lieutenant."

"Work?" Sean asked.

"Sorry," she apologized and started to gather her things. "I have to get back to my desk, but thank you so much for meeting with me and sharing these memories. I know it will mean a lot to him."

"Good enough," Sean reached over the table and shook her hand. "And for what it's worth, I think the legend fits."

"Oh... um, thank you," she replied awkwardly, then strode out of the coffee shop.


	7. Chapter 7

Andy and Sharon stood watching Rory Brooks reunite with his mother. "Hell of a thing," he said again, then moved over to his desk.

Sharon watched him slump down in his chair, looking defeated. Following him over, she put a hand on his shoulder and leaned over to speak in his ear. "Come into my office, please."

Andy sighed again, then got up and went into Sharon's office. "Yes Captain?" he asked, closing the door.

"What's wrong, Andy?" she asked as he sat across the desk from her.

"Ah, it's this Christmas thing. I still haven't got anything for Nicole's kids and I'm out of ideas. Christmas is less than a week away, and I've got no idea if I'm even going to get to spend time with them. The whole thing is stressing me out."

"Christmas can be tough," Sharon agreed, "You're not thinking..."

"What? Of taking a drink? Nah, that's not the way I deal with things. It would ruin everything I've been working for."

"I'm sorry, Andy. I know that and I shouldn't have asked."

Andy shrugged, "That's okay. You're not the first. I'm used to it. Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic."

"In name only. You left that life behind a long time ago," she said gently, earning half a smile from him.

Andy took a deep breath. "Yeah, okay. We'll go with that." Smiling at her he tilted his head, "So what you want to talk to me about?"

"Christmas."

"Christmas?"

"Christmas. I want you to talk to someone, if you have the time."

Andy shrugged again, "All that's waiting for me out there is paperwork. That can wait 'til the new year for all I care."

Sharon gave him a reproachful look as she picked up her phone and dialed. "Melissa?" she said, not taking her eyes off him.

"Hi Mom, what's up?"

"Are you busy, Sweetheart?"

"Um... I've got a few. What's going on?"

Sharon could hear her daughter breathing heavily on the other end, and knew she was at the theatre preparing for the evening's performance. "This won't take long. Could you switch over to Facetime please."

"Uh, sure... gimme a sec." Soon Melissa's face appeared on Sharon's phone. "Okay, I'm here."

"Good. There's someone I want you to meet. Melissa, this is Lt. Andy Flynn." She passed the phone to Andy and sat back to watch.

"Hey Melissa, nice to meet you," Andy spoke at the screen, not really understanding why he was speaking with Sharon's daughter.

"Well, Andy Flynn... I've heard a few things about you," Melissa said cheekily.

Sharon bit the inside of her mouth, trying hard to contain herself and not sensor her daughter. This conversation was between them, not her.

Andy chuckled, "Well, I'm flattered. I've heard a few things about you too, all good."

"That's reassuring," Melissa asked. "So... I guess this call is about the present."

"What present?" Andy asked, confused.

"Didn't Mom tell you?"

"I wanted you to tell him," Sharon intervened, earning a nod of acknowledgment from her daughter.

"Ah, okay. Well, here's the deal. I put the package in the mail yesterday, special delivery. It should be there by tomorrow."

"One of you want to tell me what's going on?" Andy looked from one to the other.

"Sure," Melissa replied. "Mom told me how much your grandsons love the ballet, and how your family invited her to see The Nutcracker with you. So she asked me if I could send something special from my company for Tyler and Matthew."

Sharon sat back and smiled, enjoying the look of confusion on Andy's face slowly turn to wonder.

"What?" he asked.

Melissa started again, "I sent Tyler and Matthew a present that you can give them. It's got a few things from the American Ballet Theatre, and it's made just for them. Just tell them it's from you, and voila, happy boys."

Andy was practically speechless, and Sharon didn't miss the tears forming in the corner of his eyes. "Wha... you did that? For me? For the boys? I don't know what to say."

Melissa simply shrugged and smiled. "It was easy. Just promise me one thing. Follow the directions on the package and I want both of you there when the boys open it."

"Uh... sure. Whatever you say..."

A knock on the door took their attention, as Rusty stuck his head in. "Sharon... Oh, hey Melissa."

"Hey Rusty."

"Sharon, do you have a minute?"

Nodding, Sharon rose and left the office to speak with Rusty.

"Mom gone?" Melissa asked when she heard the door.

"Uh, yeah."

"Good, okay what are you getting her for Christmas?"

"I dunno... I never really thought about it. You got ideas?"

"Yup... listen..."

Sharon noticed that Andy and Melissa were still talking, so she turned her attention to Rusty and tried to curtail her curiosity. "What is it, Rusty?" she asked.

"Listen, it's no big deal and you can say no. But Lt. Tao just asked me if I wanted to go over and spend some time with Kevin tonight. Have supper and I dunno, maybe play chess."

"Oh right, he'd be back from college now," Sharon nodded. "Sure, let me just speak with Mike."

Together they walked over to Mike's desk.

"What do you think, Captain? I can do a perimeter check when I get home, and then give the all clear."

"I highly doubt our letter writer is waiting close to your home on the off chance Rusty visits. He hasn't been there since Kevin left for college in August. I think it's a great idea. Thank you."

Mike shrugged, "It's pretty easy, and Kevin's been asking about him."

"Great, I'll let his security detail know and they can follow you there."

"Ah, what's this?" Provenza came over to ask. "Rusty's security detail is going where?"

"It's okay, Lieutenant. Rusty is just going over to Mike's house for the evening," Sharon explained.

Provenza cleared his throat, "So that means there will be no one at the condo with you?"

"I'll be fine," she said pointedly, hoping Provenza would let it go and not mention the threats against her.

"Right, right," Provenza nodded, moving away from them.

Rusty smiled, "Okay, then it's all set. I'll get my things."

"Great, I'm packing up and we'll head out. Good night everyone." Tao said to those around him.

Behind Sharon's back, Provenza leaned over to Sanchez, "You got this one."

"I'm on it, Sir."

None the wiser, Sharon returned to her office to see Andy sitting with a grin on his face, and her phone lying on the desk.

"Melissa had to go?"

"Uh, yeah, she was called back to get dressed."

"Mmm," Sharon nodded. "We were lucky to catch her."

"I can't believe you'd do this for me."

Sharon shrugged, "Why not? It was a simple phone call and the gift won't be terribly extravagant, but it will be something unique and it will prove to your family that you do have a distant connection to the American Ballet Theatre."

"Yeah," he shook his head in wonder, still grinning from ear to ear. "Looks like I owe you, again."

"Andy, I'm not keeping score."

"Listen... can I take you to dinner or something? You know, as a thank you."

"Can we have a raincheck? I have to get home and finish a project I'm working on."

"Oh, yeah... sure," Andy got up, suddenly feeling ill at ease. "How about you tell me when it's good for you."

"I will, I promise," she smiled at him.

"Well, okay... I guess I gotta put some time into that paperwork. And thanks again."

Just as Andy opened the door and started to head out, Sharon called to him, "Andy, I will let you know when I'm available."

Nodding, he smiled, "Right."

She almost called him back and said the project could wait, but she was already pushing the deadline and needed to get it finished.

An hour later she finally made it back home. When she got out of the elevator and turned to her apartment, she noticed Julio standing outside. "Was there something you needed, Julio?" Sharon asked him, concerned.

"No Ma'am."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Just my job, Ma'am."

"Your job?" Sharon looked puzzled for a moment, then realized what was going on. "Detective, did Lt. Provenza put you up to this?"

"Yes and no, Ma'am."

"I'm fine. I don't need extra protection, and Rusty's team will be back here before midnight. You can go home. Please, go home."

"Yes, Ma'am."

When he showed no signs of moving, Sharon walked passed him and opened her door, then turned and said, "You're not going to do anything I tell you, are you."

"No, Ma'am."

Shaking her head, Sharon sighed and went into her apartment, deciding Provenza was a cross between a Mother Hen and Chicken Little.

Setting her briefcase down, she went to change then collected a light supper for herself and a glass of wine. She sat on her sofa with her computer, and but in the USB key with the latest images. After arranging everything Buzz and Provenza had provided for her, she grabbed her phone and took pictures of the few items Sean had given her the day before. When she was finished, she reviewed her work, looking for any mistakes or better placement. She wanted to make sure the story flowed and captured the man she had come to know and respect.

"Okay," she said to the room around her, "here goes." She clicked the key to order the production, and paid the fee to make sure it was delivered as soon as possible. Then she leaned back on the sofa, satisfied in a job well done.

When Rusty returned a few hours later, he found her sound asleep on the sofa, computer still open on her lap. He moved the computer to the coffee table and closed it, then waited while his security team did their usual check of the apartment. Once they were back outside, he gently woke her up.

"Sharon..."

With a start she opened her eyes and looked around. "Oh... Rusty. What time is it?"

"It's eleven."

"Mmm... I didn't expect to fall asleep here. Where's my computer?"

"I moved it to the coffee table so you wouldn't knock it on the floor."

Sharon nodded and smiled slightly, as she sat up and tried to get her bearings. "Did you just get home?"

"Yeah... and look at this!" he exclaimed, pulling a box out of his backpack.

Sharon took it and read the title, "Deep Junior Yokohama?" She looked at him in confusion. "This is another computer chess game?"

"Not just another computer chess game," Rusty exclaimed, sitting down on the sofa beside her, it's _THE_ computer chess game. This thing is the best there is. It's like a million times better than Deep Blue.

Sharon smiled at him, not understanding a single thing he was saying, and looked at the package again. "This is from the Taos?" she asked.

"Yeah, and it's so cool. This is winning, like all the International competitions. It's amazing."

"Well good, I'm glad. Perhaps it will give you enough of a challenge to make your protective custody just a little bit easier."

"Yeah... about that. Why was Det. Sanchez outside the door when I got home?"

Sharon thought fast, then shrugged, "It was Lt. Provenza's idea. He seems to sleep better at night knowing he's being over protective."

"There's nothing I should know about, is there?" Rusty asked cautiously.

Shaking her head, Sharon got up from the sofa. "No, Honey, I'm fine. Let's just chalk it up to how lucky we are that we have the whole squad wanting to keep us both safe. Now, off to bed with you."

"Yeah, okay... Goodnight Sharon."

"Goodnight Rusty, and I'm glad you had such a great evening."


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning started dark and rainy, is stark contrast with Sharon's mood. It was just five days before Christmas, and she still had so many thing she wanted to do, but first she needed to get to the office and finish the paperwork on their latest case.

"Rusty," she knocked on his door.

"Yeah," he groaned.

"I'm going to the office. Do you want to come or do you want to stay here and play your new game?"

"Here," he grunted, before flopping back in bed.

Sharon smiled to herself, then collected her briefcase and other essentials and left her apartment. She greeted his security detail and updated them on the day's plan, then headed down to the garage to get her car.

The drive to work was lighter, she noticed, owing to people traveling for the holidays. She turned on the radio to keep her company, and was pleasantly surprised when she heard the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy surround her. Tchaikovsky continued to fill her car as she drove. By the time she arrived at her office, she was humming along with the Waltz of the Flowers.

"You're in a good mood, Captain," Amy greeted her as soon as she arrived.

"Yes," Sharon looked matter of fact, "I am. I think this is going to be a good day, so let's get our paperwork done so we can all leave."

As she walked to her office, she was greeted by Andy.

"Captain."

"Lieutenant."

Both of them struggled to keep their smiles in check.

The morning flew by, and soon the squad was finished what they needed to do and heading out. Everyone wished each other Merry Christmas, hoping desperately that they wouldn't see each other outside of social engagements, until the first of the year.

As the last team member left, Andy knocked on Sharon's door.

"Are you leaving, Lieutenant?"

"Nah, I'm just stepping out for lunch. Want anything?"

"Surprise me," she waved her hand in the air.

Andy chuckled. "Sure thing."

Seeing that everyone was finally gone, Sharon turned her radio on and was again greeted by the sounds of Tchaikovsky, but this time it was Swan Lake. Humming along, she got lost in her work until a voice startled her.

"This looks familiar."

Sharon looked up. "Nicole!"

The younger woman smiled. "Hi," she waved. "This a bad time?"

"No, not at all. I'm just finishing up some paperwork. I always seem to be finishing up some paperwork," she laughed. "Please, sit. How are you?"

"Good, good. They boys are super excited."

"Oh good," Sharon leaned back in her seat, smiling. "Christmas with kids around is so much fun. The baking and sneaking looks under the tree, mail deliveries and lights everywhere. They have so much wonder at that age."

Nicole nodded, "Yes, that's the fun stuff. Then I've got the not-so-fun stuff."

"Oh, what do you mean?" Sharon sat up again, looking at her.

"Well, I have a blended family, and not just one generation but two. Trying to organize visits from my husband's family, and the boy's mother's family, and then my parents. At this rate it looks like we will be having three or four Christmases."

"I see... yes, that would be draining, and I guess you have to keep dueling families apart."

"Yes. The boy's mother's family resents that the boys are being raised by someone else, and they feel they have to compensate for their daughter's abandoning her sons. Then Josh's parents feel they should dictate how Christmas is to be celebrated since their son is the head of the household, and is beholden to his father." Nicole rolled her eyes at that one. "And of course my family... "

"Mmm... I understand the abandonment issue. My in-laws tried that for the first two years until I put my foot down."

"I'm the step-mother. I can't put my foot down."

Sharon nodded, "True, you're in a difficult place."

"Yes, so I've had to shuffle everybody. Josh's parents are arriving Christmas night, and staying for a few days, so that takes care of them. The boy's other grandparents are coming Christmas Eve morning, and staying until mid-afternoon. So that leaves my parents." Nicole stopped for a minute and looked at Sharon for a reaction.

"I see, and what have you decided?"

Nicole sighed, "Well, I know we talked about me giving Dad a full day, but Mom is insistent that she spend Christmas Day with us, and isn't taking no for an answer."

"So that leaves Christmas Eve for me," Andy said from the doorway.

"Dad!" Nicole exclaimed, and went to hug him. "I thought everyone was gone, but I'm so glad to see you.

"Me too, Nic," Andy kissed his daughter's head, then put the bags he was carrying down on Sharon's desk.

Nicole saw them and pointed, "Is that from the sushi restaurant you mentioned?"

"Mmm, yes," Sharon said happily, pulling out packages. "It's my favourite. Do you want some?"

"Um... sure, but I don't want to take your lunch."

"That's okay, Nic. I can always get something else afterwards," Andy assured her.

Nicole looked from one to the other.

"Try it," Sharon held one of the boats out for her.

Tentatively Nicole picked up one of the set of chopsticks and took a piece of the salmon roll. "Wow, this is good," she said, after she had finished it.

Sharon smiled, then picked up a piece of tuna sashimi and used it as a pointer. "You know, Christmas Eve is so much better than Christmas Day. All of the anticipation is still there, and the esthetic of the presents under the tree is beautiful. When my kids were young, I used to put them to bed then sit for hours, just looking at the tree glowing in the dark room. And now, whenever I get the chance to have Christmas with my parents at their chalet, I love Christmas Eve Mass. There's something magical about being in a church and singing Silent Night by candle light, then going outside just after midnight to snow falling all around. I love it."

Andy and Nicole watched as Sharon got a far away look on her face. Neither wanted to interrupt her memories.

But all too quickly, Sharon caught herself, then laughed a little. "Well, that won't be this year."

"Will you miss it?" Andy asked.

"Part of me will, absolutely. But Christmas in LA isn't bad either. Rusty and I will find our own ways to celebrate."

"The invitation is open to join us," Nicole said self-consciously.

"Thank you, but what I really want is for you two to spend time together. That would make me very happy."

"Yeah..." Andy agreed, "but don't forget, you've got that thing..."

Sharon looked at him perplexed, "What thing?"

"The thing..." he said with more emphasis, and nodded his head towards Nicole.

"Oh right... the thing," Sharon repeated, realizing what he was talking about. "Yes, well I will have to stop by, but only for half an hour or so, I don't want to interrupt your time."

Nicole looked confused, "What are you talking about?"

"Come on Nic, you know it's not the season to ask too many questions."

"Ah..." she nodded, then turned to look at Sharon. "Um... Dad and I talked a few days ago, and he told me that we might have jumped to some conclusions about you, and him, and I want you to know it's okay. I'm not inviting you because I think you're with my Dad, I'm inviting you because we really enjoy your company. Everything else is just bonus."

"Thank you," Sharon tilted her head and smiled at the younger woman, "that means a lot to me. I like spending time with your family as well. I really enjoyed going to the ballet, and I don't mind being included at all."

"Okay," Nicole said, getting to her feet. "I just came down here to let you know my door is open." Then she turned to her father, "And Dad, I was going to drive to your house next to ask you to come on Christmas Eve, but you're here. So.. two-ish?"

"Sure Nic, two sounds perfect." Andy kissed her on the head again then watched her leave. "Whaddaya know," he smiled as he sat down across from Sharon. "I thought this holiday was going to be a bust, then you save my ass with a present, and Nicole asks me to spend time with her on Christmas Eve. This is looking like the best Christmas I've had in years."

"I'm so glad," Sharon smiled, enjoying the happiness that shone around him. "You have your present for Nicole covered?"

"Yeah, that was an easy one. It was the boys that gave me trouble"

Sharon giggled, "Some day you'll be able to buy then Dodger tickets."

"That'll be the day," Andy laughed with her.

They chatted a little more about Christmases past and Nicole's visit, then Andy returned to his desk with half of Sharon's paperwork, so they could both get out of the office faster.

Before they knew it, the job was done. Andy walked Sharon down to her car and they drove off to their respective homes, full of plans for the days ahead. When Sharon arrived at her building, the Concierge waved her over.

"Ms. Raydor, a package arrived for you today. Special delivery."

"Oh, good," Sharon responded, and signed the release that he had handed her. "Are you sure that's for me?" Sharon said when she saw the size of it."

"Uh, yes... your name is in bold letters. It's from New York."

"Really?" Sharon took it and saw it was indeed from Melissa. "Yes, it's mine. Thank you."

She carried it up the elevator, and by the time she reached the eleventh floor, she had decided it must contain additional gifts for herself and Rusty.

"What's that?" Rusty asked when she came in the door.

"The parcel from Melissa. The one I asked her to send for Andy's grandsons."

"Right," Rusty responded, loosing interest instantly.

Sharon pealed the outer paper away and was surprised to see inside the box was completely wrapped in Christmas paper. On top was a large card that read "For Tyler and Matthew, open me first", and attached to that was a large sticky note that instructed her not to open it until both she and Andy were there to watch the boys. Finally deciding that Melissa must have included some other little things, she left it on the table by the door so it wouldn't get misplaced under the tree.

The weekend passed without incident, and before they knew it Monday had arrived. Sharon was anxious for the mail to come, and realized she was driving herself and Rusty crazy by her pacing. "Okay, let's go for a drive."

"Really," Rusty asked.

"Sure, we go out to the beach, and maybe get lunch."

Rusty shrugged, "Um... sure."

They enjoyed a sunny afternoon, walking along the shore. Rusty pointed out some tacky Christmas bikinis, and they both shared their amusement. For a little while Sharon forgot the parcel she was expecting. But as they return to the city and got closer to home, her anxiety increased.

"What's going on?" Rusty asked, noticing how fidgety she was.

"Nothing."

"It's not nothing. Did you get me out of the house for a reason?"

Sharon glanced over, "Oh no, Honey, I'm not up to anything. I'm expecting an important parcel to be delivered today, that's all. And the waiting was getting to me. Hopefully it will be at the front desk when we get home."

"It's that thing you were working on for Lt. Flynn, right?"

Sharon opened her mouth to say something, then closed it right away. Trying again she shrugged, "Ah... yes it is."

"It's cool." Rusty assured her, and turned back to watch the road.

The parcel had not arrived by the time they got home, and it didn't arrive after dinner. Sharon was beside herself, and ready to call the company to find out what happened, when someone knocked on her door.

"Sorry Ms. Raydor, someone didn't log this properly," the evening desk clerk said, holding up the long awaited package.

"Thank you," she said, trying not to rip it out of the man's hand.

When she was all alone, she walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. Opening the parcel carefully, she examined every inch. It looked even better than she had hoped. Satisfied, she wrapped it and placed it with the larger gift for Tyler and Matthew, then she sat down to enjoy the glow of her tree. She was ready for Christmas Eve.


	9. Chapter 9

Sharon puttered around the next morning, getting her coffee and baking breakfast for herself and Rusty. It wasn't often that she had the opportunity to flip through cookbooks and try something new. As the raspberry Dutch Baby baked on her stove, she turned on her computer and called her daughter.

"Hey Mom," Melissa said.

"You look comfortable." Sharon smiled at her daughter, who's hair was sloppily pulled up in a high ponytail, and she was walking around the chalet in nothing but a tank top and sleep shorts.

"It's vacation, Mom. I've got a few days to pretend I'm relaxing before the post-Christmas shows begin.

"When do you fly back?"

"I'm heading out tomorrow night."

"It's too bad you can't spend longer with your grandparents," Sharon said, wishing she was there to have this conversation in person.

Melissa shrugged, "It's what we do. Between your job and Rick's and mine, it's a miracle we get time to talk together let alone spend Christmas in one place."

"Mmm," Sharon agreed, "when does your brother arrive?"

"Well, baring an emergency, he should be here by dinnertime tonight."

"Okay, then I'll call this evening to see all of you."

"What are your plans, Mom?"

"Mine? Well Rusty and I are spending most of the day here, and then we'll be going over to Nicole's for a little while before dinner. I'm still curious about the size of that present."

Melissa just shrugged and smiled.

"So, are you the only one up?"

"Yeah, I'm still on New York time, but Nana and Gramps are Mountain."

"Well tell them I love them and will talk to them this evening."

"Call after the boys open their present. I want to hear if they liked it."

"I will Sweetheart, Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Mom. Love you."

Sharon blew a kiss into the screen and then went to check on breakfast.

"That looks interesting," Rusty came around the corner and looked at the lump in the skillet.

"You're up early," she said, pushing a mug of coffee towards him. Rusty just shrugged.

Later that afternoon it was Rusty's turn again to sit and shrug as Sharon tried on a few outfits before choosing what to wear. "Hey, is pink the theme or something?" he asked, as she flitted from pink silk blouse to pink sweater and continued through her wardrobe. "We're just going to drop off presents, right? Why all the fuss?"

Sharon came out adjusting her earrings, having finally made her choice. "Well, it would be rude not to stay a little bit after being invited. So, how do I look?"

"Great, as always," Rusty said noncommittally, earning a slight scowl.

They were almost at Nicole's when the phone rang. Sharon looked at her consul display and saw Nicole's name, so she pushed the button to talk. "Hi Nicole, Merry Christmas."

"Oh Sharon," the anguished voice greeted her. "Mom just showed up and Dad is ready to leave, and I can't make it stop."

Sharon felt her foot step heavier on the gas peddle. "I'm almost there, tell your father to stay put."

"Okay."

She could hear the yelling in the background and for a moment she considered putting on her sirens to get there faster, but realized that was overkill.

A few minutes later they arrived at Nicole's house, and rang the doorbell. Josh answered, looking stressed, but Sharon greeting him with a bright "Merry Christmas!" She breezed into the living room with the gifts in her arms, and placed them under the tree. Matthew and Tyler were obviously uncomfortable with the disturbance that had now worked it's way into a screaming match, but she winked at them to tell them it was alright.

"Andy," she stepped into his personal space and he automatically put his arm around her waist. "Go sit down and let me handle this. Please. Don't let her ruin tonight."

Andy looked down into Sharon's eyes for a moment, pain palpable. "Yeah, okay..." he acquiesced, and moved away from the fight.

"Little puppet on a string," Andy's ex-wife sneered and tried to follow him, but Sharon stood in the way.

"You're not supposed to be here, Joan, or did you not read the memo?" Sharon lowered her voice and looked at the obsessed woman, then she looked down at the bag Joan was carrying. Noticing it was wine bottles, Sharon quickly pulled one out and headed to the kitchen. Joan sputtered and followed Sharon, yelling at her to mind her business. Nicole went after them, not sure what to expect.

In the kitchen, Sharon found a wine glass and twisted the top off the bottle, then poured herself a glass and took a sip. Through the entire act Sharon ignored Joan, until finally she said, "Chardonnay...I've had better."

"Who do you think you are, parading around my daughter's house like you own the place."

"I've been invited to be here Joan, which is more than I can say for you."

Joan crossed her arms and smirked as Sharon took a long look at the woman. Years ago she might have been quite attractive, but time had not been kind, and Joan's bitterness was evident in every look and gesture. "You think you can just walk into my daughter's life, throw your snobby attitude around, and everyone will do your bidding like Andy?"

"Oh," Sharon said lightly, "No... that's not my style.

"You are just the fraud girlfriend, the work partner he had to bring along because no one would have him."

Gottcha, Sharon thought to herself, then smiled. Standing as tall as she could, Sharon's eyes bore into Joan. "Mmm... well I'm not the partner, I'm the person in charge and I spend all day looking at people's motives. And you know what I've discovered after decades in law enforcement? It's that every crime can be boiled down to one word: love. Love of money, love of power, love of the victim, or even love of the life that used to be. When did you realize you had thrown away the best thing you ever had, Joan? Mmm? When did you realize you were still in love with Andy, but you had pushed him so far away he wasn't coming back?"

"Love... Andy?" Joan sputtered.

"You are so jealous you can't even see how much damage you're doing."

Joan sneered, "Jealous, of you?"

"Mmm... Me, and whomever Andy's dated in the past. So when was it, Joan? Was it the first night you kicked him out and he didn't try to come home? Or was it when you filed papers for divorce and ignored that voice in the back of your head that said you were making a mistake? Or maybe, it was the Christmas Nicole was thirteen, and Andy had finally given up drinking and was serious about AA and changing his life. You made that Christmas miserable for him with all the games you played."

"You don't know anything," Joan yelled at Sharon, starting to loose control.

"Don't I? I know you can't stand to see him happy. You can't stand the fact that he's in a room with you and he's not the least bit interested. You can't stand the fact that he's moved on and you still haven't. And for the record, Joan... he's moved on," Sharon made a point of emphasizing the last words.

Joan was so angry she didn't even realize tears running down her face. "You BITCH, you hateful bitch, you want him so bad, you can have him!"

Sharon leaned towards the other woman and smiled sweetly, "I already do."

Joan raised her had to strike at Sharon, but a voice yelling across the room stopped her. She turned to see the face of her husband, who was not happy. "We're leaving," he announced, giving no room for argument. He picked Joan's purse up from the counter, then turned to Nicole. "You have a good evening, and we'll see you tomorrow, Nicky."

Nicole silently nodded as she watched her mother glare at Sharon, then turn to follow her step-father out of the house.

"Buh bye," Sharon said, picking up her wine glass and toasting Joan before she took another drink.

When the silence reached the point of deafening, Sharon put the glass down and went over to touch Nicole's arm.

"I never knew..." the younger woman looked up at her, "I never realized she was still in love with Dad. She always treated him like he was the worst person on the planet."

Sharon shrugged, "People do a lot of strange and destructive things when emotions are involved. Your father and I deal with that every single day." She rubbed Nicole's back then gave her a half hug. "Come on... we've got five men in the next room waiting for us to celebrate Christmas. Why don't we do that and forget about all of this for tonight."

Nicole looked at her and nodded, then the two moved towards the living room. "Smiles on," Sharon leaned in to whisper just before they rejoined the others. Nicole went immediately to Josh for a hug, and Sharon went to Andy.

Rubbing his back slightly, Sharon leaned in and whispered, "I took care of it."

"Where's Grandma-Joan?" Tyler asked.

"She left, Honey. She was just here to deliver a few things. You'll see her tomorrow," Nicole answered, shifting a quick look at Sharon.

Matthew had been sitting under the tree, eyeing the box Sharon brought. "Can we open this now?"

Andy chuckled, "Sure Kid."

Matthew was about to dig in when Sharon stopped him. "Matthew, bring that hear first please."

"Okay..." he said, and walked over to her.

"What does the card say?" Sharon asked him when he got closer.

"Um..." Matthew turned the gift around to read it, "For Tyler and Matthew, open me first". He shrugged and put the box on the floor, then tore the card off and opened it. Tyler came to look over his shoulder. "A DVD?" Matthew looked surprised, then turned to Sharon.

Sharon was confused and looked at Andy. This wasn't what she expected.

"It says 'play me first'," Matthew looked at his father. "Should I put it on."

"Sure," Josh said, turning on the TV and DVD player, then putting in the disk.

It started to play and suddenly Melissa's face was smiling into a hand-held camera. "Hey Tyler and Matthew, my name is Melissa Raydor, and this is your Christmas present from my Mom and your Grandpa-Andy. Welcome to the American Ballet Theatre."

The camera turned from Melissa and did a panoramic of the front and back stage of the theatre, showing the pulley system, the props hanging from the ceiling ready to be lowered, the dancers moving behind the backdrop, those stretching onstage, and out into the audience seats before returning to Melissa.

"We're putting on The Nutcracker this evening, just like we do every Christmas. Right now we're practicing and getting ready. Come with me and I'll show you around." They all watched Melissa wave into the camera to follow her.

Sharon had been sitting on the arm of the chair Andy occupied, and was watching in stunned silence. This was more than she imagined. Andy reached his arm around her hip and hugged her to him, keeping his hand on her thigh. Everyone was glued to the TV, and the boys' grins were huge.

"Okay, this is our main stage," Melissa continued. "See the marks on the floor?" She held the camera down so they became visible, "That's to help us know where we're supposed to be. Here's a little secret, it's neon tape so we can see it when we're on stage, but the audience can't see a thing. With this many people dancing and twirling, we all want to make sure we're in the right place. Traffic jams are bad."

The boys giggled.

"Here is our choreographer," Melissa continued, the camera approaching a middle aged man in ballet slippers. "We call him Count Vlad," she whispered into the camera. "I heard that!" he shouted to her, and the other dancers laughed.

"And this is the orchestra pit. They're practicing now to make sure everything is perfect this evening." Melissa panned the entire orchestra pit then said "Everyone, say Merry Christmas to Matthew and Tyler."

"Merry Christmas, Matthew and Tyler," the orchestra mimicked back, waving at the camera.

Then Melissa held the camera so it was straight down. "See that? From the stage it's twenty-five feet down to the floor of the Orchestra pit. I know in movies they sometimes have characters falling in there for fun, but if you did that in real life you could break your neck."

The camera continued to move along with Melissa's commentary. "Here's Steve. Say hello Steve."

"Hello, Steve," he waved at the camera with a cheeky smile.

"Steve is the principle male dancer tonight. He plays the Nutcracker Prince."

"I do," Steve confirmed, putting the mask on his head and dancing part of his routine. When he was finished, he came back to talk to the camera. "Hi Matthew and Tyler, I heard you were in your own production of The Nutcracker this year. Good job! That's where most of us start out. If you love it, keep practicing and studying hard. Ballet is a lot more work than most people know. Most of what we're paid to do is make really hard steps look easy."

"Don't hog the camera," someone pushed Steve out of the way, and Melissa turned the camera accordingly. "Hi boys, my name is Geoff, and I play the Mouse King. That's the most important role in the entire ballet."

"Yeah, in your dreams," Steve replied off camera.

"Seriously, it is. Without the villain, there's never a story. But besides this, look what I have to do." Geoff showed them the headpiece he had to wear on stage. "This thing is about ten pounds, and I have to wear it the whole time as well as dance and take part in a sword fight. I mean, look at those eye holes. I can hardly see," he exclaimed, taking the camera from Melissa and pushing it into the mask.

"Hey dude, I wear a mask, too," the unmistakable voice of Steve could be heard off camera once more.

"Yeah, yeah..." Geoff waved him off. "Melissa tells me you really love the ballet. What else do you like to do? I love sports, all kinds of sports. In the winter I play hockey when I'm not performing, and in the summer I play baseball."

"Hey!" Andy raised his arms in an open gesture, smiling at the TV. Sharon, Nicole and Josh laughed.

"Okay, moving on," Melissa said, "I want you to meet the rest of the men in our troupe. Back there is David and Michael, and over here is Sasha practicing with Lena."

"Hi boys," Sasha and Lena waved into the camera. "Have you boys started to learn lifting techniques yet?" Sasha asked. "One of the things most people ask me is how I can lift the ballerinas so easily. Here's the trick. First I have to have my feet braced on the floor, like this." Melissa aimed the camera at Sasha's feet. "And then, Lena does a quick push off the floor like this." Lena complied and everyone watched as her feet pushed her upwards. "Now, you have to learn to time this perfectly because if I'm ready to lift and she's not ready to jump, then it won't work. But when it does work, it looks like this." Melissa backed the camera up so they could fully see Sasha lift Lena into the air and hold her aloft with one hand, then he walked away with her still high in the air.

Melissa turned the camera back on herself. "I've got to tell you boys, the first time I was held up like that, I nearly screamed it was so scary. The girls have to trust you, so don't forget that. If you drop them at all, they won't trust you again. So make sure you learn to do it properly."

"Melissa, you're up," a voice sounded from off camera.

"Right," she said, and quickly passed the camera to someone else so they could tape Melissa dance. "This year I'm one of the Marzipan."

They all watched as Melissa and her fellow dancers practiced their routine. At the end they held position while 'Count Vlad' walked around with his long stick, pushing arms and chin's higher, and knocking feet back to their markers. He also grabbed Melissa around the waist and pulled her back slightly, "Straighter back", they heard him say.

When it was all over, Melissa came back to get the camera. "I have to go now, boys, but there's one more thing to show you." She walked them back stage to a wall where all the performers names were written. "See, that's me," she pointed to a name. "I dance under the name Melissa Fitzpatrick. Most of us change our last names so no one can find us outside of work. That's become a tradition in ballet. I hope you enjoyed your tour of our show. We travel a lot, and starting in January we will be in Japan. I don't know when we will be back in LA, but I'll make sure you have tickets. And if you ever get to New York and we're in town, then I'll get you tickets here. Have a Merry Christmas, enjoy the rest of the stuff in the box, and don't forget to thank Mom and Grandpa-Andy for your Christmas presents. Bye!"

Matthew turned to the box first and started ripping it open. Tyler didn't wait for an invitation, and quickly got in there himself. Out of the box came two Nutcracker t-shirts with ABT written on the bottom, as well as a practice shirt and shorts for each boy, again with ABT across the hem. At the very bottom were a number of stage pictures and head shots, including all of the people they had seen on screen. Each headshot was addressed to the boys. "There's Melissa's," Tyler said, turning to Sharon and Andy.

"This is an amazing gift," Josh said, watching the bounty that laid before them. "I think it's the best gift they'll receive this year. Thank you."

"I'm just the guy who knew about it, this was Sharon's doing," Andy said.

"Don't look at me," Sharon quickly shook her head. "I asked for the pictures. Everything else is Melissa."

"Thank you," Matthew threw himself on Andy, and gave him a big hug. "Melissa said it was from you."


	10. Chapter 10

The boys took off the dress shirts they were wearing and put on their Nutcracker shirts.

"Melissa did a great job with sizes," Nicole said to Sharon.

"Mmm... yes, she did. I only told her their ages. She did an amazing job with all of it, actually. She wants us to call her shortly to see how the boys liked their present."

Nicole smiled, "They liked it."

Sharon hummed, and looked at them again. They had all of the pictures on the coffee table and with Andy were pushing them around, trying to identify the dancers in the press shots.

"He's good," Josh said, coming over to join Nicole and Sharon. "Andy is picking out the dancers and giving the boys hint where to find them.

"Well," Sharon smiled, "he has to do that at work every day, so he should be good."

Josh laughed, "Right, I hadn't thought of that. Listen, Sharon, we have something for you."

Sharon turned away from watching Andy with his grandsons, and looked at them in surprise. "For me?"

Josh pulled it from behind his back and gave it to Nicole. "I hope you like it," she said self-consciously. "I... we found it at a small shop when we were on our honeymoon. I just had a feeling you'd be around at Christmas," she shrugged, then passed the parcel to Sharon, and looked for reassurance from Josh.

The box was quite long and thin, and Sharon set it down on the table beside her to open it. "Oh..." she uttered, when she pulled the paper back and saw the carving, "this is beautiful." She lifted it out of the box and held it up in front of her, looking at all the intricate patterns carved and cut out around the edges, and the unmistakable outline of two people dancing in the middle. "It looks like lace," she exclaimed, turning it over and seeing the sticker on the back. "From Kenya... Oh... I don't know what to say." Sharon put the carving back in the box to look at it again, and her hands went automatically to her mouth, covering the laugher and tears she was feeling. "Nicole, that is exquisite," she said, and hugged the other woman tightly.

"I'm so glad you like it," Nicole hugged back.

"You have no idea. I'll treasure this always."

"It reminded me of you and Dad dancing at our wedding."

Sharon tilted her head and smiled at the younger woman, then reached out her hand and squeezed Nicole's arm. No words needed to be expressed.

Rusty sat restlessly, watching everyone around him. Since arriving it had been one big moment after another, but none of it involved him. Andy looked over and realized what the young man must be feeling. "Ah, Josh..." he called over to his son-in-law, "you got that thing we talked about?"

Josh looked over to Andy and saw him nodding at Rusty. "Oh yeah, it's under the tree. I'll get it."

Sharon's interest was piqued, and she went closer to watch what the men were up to.

"Rusty, we didn't forget you," Josh said, handing him a gift.

Taken aback, Rusty looked at him then up at Sharon. "Ah... thanks," he said awkwardly.

"Open it, Kid," Andy encouraged him.

"Um... sure... okay." He pulled off the coloured paper and looked at the box in front of him. "Wizard's Chess?" he looked at Sharon in confusion then back to the box.

"Oh, cool," Tyler exclaimed coming closer and looking at the chess set in Rusty's lap. "Does it smash and everything?"

"I don't get it," Rusty said.

Josh nodded, "Okay, that brings us to gift number two. Here you go."

Rusty opened the second package to find a book and a movie. "Harry Potter?" he said, looking surprised.

"It's in the movie," Matthew told him excitedly. "At the end they go down in the dungeon and they have to play on this big chess set, and every time they move they have to smash the other piece, and rock goes flying and Harry gets hurt. Can we watch it now?"

Rusty was still unsure of what the kids were talking about, which pulled at Sharon's heartstrings. Anyone Rusty's age should have had Harry Potter memorized, she knew, but those were the years he was struggling to survive.

Andy shared Sharon's thoughts, "It's like this, Kid. Everything chess you have is serious, so me and Josh were talking, and we thought we'd get you something fun. Read the book. Watch the movie, and it will all make sense."

Matthew pulled at Rusty's sleeve. "Open the movie, and we'll watch it, okay?"

"Um..." Rusty looked unsure as he glanced from one adult to another.

"Go on, you and the boys watch it," Josh said and gestured to the TV.

Rusty shrugged and did as the boys asked. Before long the three of them were sitting way too close to the TV, and the boys were excitedly interrupting as they watched.

"That was sweet," Sharon told Andy when he joined she and Nicole.

Andy smiled, "Yeah... well part of what we're doing is giving him back his lost years. I thought is was worth a shot."

"It was a good call," she said, patting him on the chest.

"Um Dad, this is for you."

Andy looked surprised and took the small box from Nicole's hand. Opening it, he started to laugh. "This is great," he said, pulling out the voucher for a season's pass to the Dodgers.

"We figured you might already had your pass for next year, but if you don't you could use this, or buy a second pass, or use it the following year. Whatever you want. It's got a two year limit on it."

"Awe Nic, this is perfect," he hugged his daughter. "I'm definitely using this for a second pass. I've got to teach those boys about baseball."

They all chuckled. Then Andy pulled a small box from his sweater pocket. "This is for you, Sweetheart," he said, passing it to his daughter.

Nicole grinned and pulled the paper away to reveal and antique jewelry box. "Dad, it's beautiful."

"Open it."

Inside the box was an amethyst pendent, surrounded by silver scrollwork. "Oh Dad, I love it," Nicole said, giving her father a hug.

Andy hugged her tightly then pointed at the box. "That necklace belonged to your great-grandmother. I remember she used to wear it all the time. You're named after her."

"Really?" Nicole was stunned for a moment, then caught herself and took the pendant from the box. "Would you?" she asked, handing it to her father.

"Yeah," he said gruffly, and opened the clasp to put it around his daughter's neck. "Perfect," he said, kissing her on the head.

"That is a real treasure," Sharon said, lifting the pendant from Nicole's neck and turning it gently in her hands. "It's completely handmade by a true artist. It's lovely."

"Thanks," Nicole smiled, taking it from Sharon's open hand and looking at it more closely.

"This has been quite the night for presents," Sharon said, pulling away from the group and looking over at the one she left under the tree. "So much thought..."

Andy grabbed her arm and pulled her back, "Not so fast, I'm not done."

"Hmm?" Sharon looked confused.

He pulled a small envelope out of his other pocket, "This," he said, and gave it to her.

Sharon was speechless as she turned the envelope over to open it. Inside were two tickets, and she pulled them out to read them. "Opera?" she exclaimed. "You're taking me to the opera?" Looking back at the tickets, she noted the date was two months away. "Billy Budd... I haven't heard of that one."

"I don't know much about it either, except it's all guys at sea. I figured we could both get something out of it. Those are for opening night."

"Grand Circle? Oh Andy, those are some of the best seats in the house."

"Yeah, Melissa said you liked the balcony best."

"Melissa was in on this?"

Andy just shrugged and smiled.

"Thank you," Sharon said, looking deeply into his eyes, and nearly crushing the tickets in her hand."

Nicole noticed. "Perhaps you should put them in your purse so they stay safe?"

"Mmm, yes... that's a good idea."

"And didn't you say something about calling Melissa so she could talk to the boys."

"Oh right, I'd forgotten," Sharon said, wiping a tear from under her eye before turning back to them. "I brought my computer in with me. We can call her now."

"Boys, turn that off and come over here," Nicole said as Sharon set the computer up and contacted her family.

"It's about time," Melissa rolled her eyes as she came on the screen, big smile as always. "So, what did they think?"

Sharon brought the two boys in front of the computer so they could see and be seen. "Hi Melissa," Matthew said. "Look", he stood back a little and put his shirt on display."

"Look at mine, too," Tyler copied him.

"Oh good, they fit," Melissa clasped her hands together. "What did you think of the movie I made?"

"That was really cool," Tyler answered first.

"I like Count Vlad," Matthew laughed.

"We do too. Everyone was happy to make that with me, and when I see the guys in a couple of days, I'll let them know you liked it."

"When we come see you, can you show us around for real?" Tyler asked.

Josh tried to censor him, but Melissa just laughed, "Absolutely! I'll show you everything. All the trap doors and the secret passages and the costumes and where we keep the sets when they're not in use."

"Can we go, Dad?" Matthew asked his father.

"Hey guys, I'm going to be in Japan and the Middle East for the next few months. But I'm back home in May, so maybe we can figure something out then."

"May give us plenty of time," Josh said to them. "Why don't you let Sharon talk to Melissa now."

"Alright," Tyler said grudgingly.

"So Mom... what did you think?" Melissa grinned again. "Andy gave it to you, right?"

"Yes he did, just a few minutes ago. I'm going to have to keep a tighter eye on the two of you. You're getting quite good at going behind my back."

Melissa just shrugged and laughed, "Yeah, well... you grow up with a detective in the house, you just learn to sneak better. Oh, Merry Christmas Andy," she said when she saw him enter her screen.

"Merry Christmas, Melissa, and you were right. She loved it."

The next half hour was spent exchanging greetings between the two households and catching up. All of Sharon's family opened their gifts from her while she watched.

"You have to be here with us next year, Dear," Sharon's mother told her.

"I'll see what I can do, Mom."

"See that you do."

Sharon waved kissed at everyone and wished them a last 'Merry Christmas', before she turned it off and closed her computer.

"This is the best Christmas Eve I've had in a long time," Nicole said dreamily, as she leaned into Josh's arms.

"Yeah..." Andy agreed.

"I think there might be one more gift to give," Sharon said, moving towards the tree.


	11. Chapter 11

Sharon picked the package up from under the tree and looked at Andy, then she walked over to Nicole. "This is for you."

Nicole sat up and looked at her father, then Sharon.

"Andy..." Sharon reached out her hand for him to join them, and she sat him down beside Nicole on the sofa.

Pulling the paper off, Nicole looked at the golden book in her hand, then turned is over. Her breath hitched. "The Gruff Teddybear," it read, and on the front cover was a picture of a younger Andy surrounded by teddybears.

Slowly Nicole opened the book. Sharon had written a short inscription inside the front cover which read, "A man worth knowing". Nicole wiped away the tear that had formed on her cheek and kept turning the pages.

The first thing she saw was a picture of Andy in his uniform the day he officially became a police officer. His transcript was posted on the page opposite, and she chuckled when she was how bad some of his marks were.

Chapter one began with a picture of Andy by his patrol car, grinning away, not a care in the world. There were other pictures. One of him kneeling by a girl on a bicycle, and another with him giving a teddybear to a crying child. Sharon had written pieces of information and dates beside each picture. The next two pages had the letter from the 8 year old boy who's father had been saved, and beside it a picture of that boy as a man in his military uniform. A small clipping accompanied it where the Naval Officer credited an unknown LAPD officer when he was a child, for inspiring him in his career.

Page after page had pictures of Andy laughing, Andy helping, Andy receiving awards and commendations, and people remarking on what a difference he had made in their lives. Sharon's comments continued throughout. Things like "Look over his left shoulder, that's Lt. Provenza" and "He'd sprained his ankle in that action, but was too stubborn to take his cane on stage and ended up in the infirmary again."

One page had a smiling Andy with a little girl perched on his shoulders. "I think you know who this is," Sharon's commentary read.

The letter from the grieving widow followed, along with her picture.

There were entries of Andy's promotions from Officer to Detective to Lieutenant.

One page made Nicole completely break down. Sharon realized it was the treasure Trevor had found. Stroking the page, Nicole turned to her father who was similarly crying.

"No... but Dad, why does this say you paid child support when you didn't?"

Andy stroked her head fiercely. "Sweetheart, I paid for you from the time I moved out until you and your brother finished College. I never missed a month, even when I was eating bologna sandwiches and sleeping on someone's couch. I swear to you, I always paid for you. The court didn't assign me an amount. I gave your mother what I thought she needed, and see that slip?" He pointed to the note beside it, "I gave extra in the months before Christmas and each of your birthdays."

"Mom said you always forgot our birthdays," Nicole was almost mewing like a kitten.

"Never. I know exactly when you were born, down to the minute. When I was drinking and I couldn't be with you, I always drank a toast to you. And after I got sober, I still did that. If I'm not with you on your birthday, no matter where I am, I lift a glass and thank God for bringing you and you brother into my life."

Nicole turned into Andy's shoulder and started sobbing. Josh had silently gotten up and ushered the three boys out of the room before returning to his wife's side.

When she calmed, Nicole returned to the book and kept turning the pages. There were more commendations and medals awarded. More letters of thanks and appreciation from civilians and officers alike.

Chapter two showed Andy in more casual settings with his fellow officers. He was playing poker in one, sharing cigars in another, and playing baseball in yet another. Sharon had included the rosters of whatever games she could find, with Andy's position prominent on the batter's list. Beside one set of game pictures was the trophy Andy kept in his living room.

"How the hell..." he looked at it, then looked up at Sharon. "You were in my house? That's why the pictures were a bit off?"

"I thought I put everything back properly. I'm sorry."

"Don't be..." he shook his head, and looked back at the pages with Nicole.

The pictures continued with Andy having his feet up on his desk and laughing at something, Andy working the barbecue, Andy in the boxing ring, and one more of Andy laughing with a group of people at a party. Sharon's commentary read "I told you I've known him for a long time. I have no idea when this was taken, but we were so young."

The last page of that chapter had the article about Andy and the teddybears. Nicole smiled.

The third chapter was simply titled "With Provenza." Andy laughed along with Nicole at all the pictures and baseball tickets the pages contained. It continued with trips they had taken for both work and pleasure, stubs from shows they had seen, a receipt from a restaurant where Provenza had written in big letters "You still owe me!" Nicole wiped away a different kind of tear when she saw her father in ridiculous swim shorts standing in a kiddie pool.

The fourth chapter said "Daddy". Sharon's only commentary was to say she had been in Andy's house recently, and these were all the items he had proudly on display. Nicole looked at pictures of herself and her brother at the park, swimming in the ocean, a road trip they managed one year, and other small adventures. Interspersed were the kids' awards for some activity or another that Andy had framed, and all the artwork that had been created over the years.

"That's where that went," Nicole said, pointing to a vase with dried flowers. "Mom said that broke."

"Nope, I stole it," Andy gave her a half hug.

The final chapter was the smallest, and entitled Alcoholic's Anonymous. Nicole's breath hitched again before she turned the page. There were only a few items. The receipt from the AA ring, where Sharon had explained Andy's deal with Sean, pictures of that 5th anniversary, and an envelop with a card shoved inside. Carefully Nicole took the card out and saw the date, December 10, 1995, written on the back. She turned it over and read the words.

_Why do I want to stop drinking? I'm doing it for Nicole and Jeremy. I want to be a good father to my kids._

Nicole covered her mouth and started crying again. Andy looked up for Sharon, but she was gone. Turning he saw her go into the kitchen and he got up quickly. Nicole watched him and got up to follow.

"You... you..." Andy started, as he barged into the kitchen.

Sharon turned around to look at him, not knowing what to expect, and backed against the counter.

"You did..." he tried again, moving towards her.

She could feel is breath on her face when he stopped moving, then she felt him grab her head roughly and crush his lips against hers. It was a hard kiss, strong, demanding, and she felt like she was being devoured. She grabbed his collar with both fists and pulled him close. Her stomach coiled with the power between them as she met his ferocity.

After a few minutes Andy had to break away. He couldn't breath, but he tipped his forehead until it was touching Sharon's as they both gasped for breath. When he had enough air in his lungs, he pulled away from her slightly and looked in her eyes, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. Both of them had tears falling, and he stroked as many away as he could.

Then he pulled her to him again and kissed her. It was gentle the second time, loving, two people falling into each other. Sharon's hands left his collar and reached around his back to pull him closer, while he snaked his arms around her neck and waist. As they deepened the kiss, Andy cradled her head in his hand.

Sharon moaned as she pulled him as tightly as she could, feeling his length press against her. She had never felt more complete.

Nicole watched the sight in front of her, then turned away. This wasn't about her any longer.


	12. Epilogue

(**WARNING** Rating change: Adult)

"Sharon, I'm fine," Rusty assured her over the phone. "We're probably going to stay up all night, watch some movies, eat junk food and catch that ball thing in New York. Besides, Lt. Tao has half of Major Crimes in his living room. Amy said she might even teach me to play poker, if she ever stops trying to beat Det. Sanchez. I'm good."

"Alright, well I'm happy to hear that. Enjoy your New Year's Eve with Kevin and everyone, and I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you."

"Yeah, love you too."

Sharon disconnected, then turned to look at the person beside her. The smile she saw was positively beatific, and she couldn't help matching it with one of her own.

"So the Kid's good?" Andy said, drawing a finger down her arm.

"Better than that. I think I cramp his style."

"Yeah, well all moms do from time to time. But I could assure him, there's nothing wrong with his Mama's style."

Sharon giggled as Andy rolled over her and lay between her legs. Brushing the hair back from her face, he looked at her. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

Pretending to think about it, she scrunched her face. "No, I don't remember you saying that for at least five minutes."

"Oops, gotta make amends."

"Indeed."

Andy leaned down and captured Sharon's lips in his own. Sucking hard on her bottom lip while she nibbled his top. She flicked her tongue, and heard him groan when he opened his mouth in invitation. Their tongues danced while she stroked the inside of his mouth before he shifted to take control.

She felt him moved from her mouth, nibbling his way along her jaw to his secret discover, right below her ear. Her moans surrounded them and she scratched her fingernails along his back as the familiar tension started to build in her stomach.

Raising her leg over his hip, she felt his hand warm and firm on her buttocks, pulling her to him. Her breath hitched as he slid inside, knowing she was still moist from the last time he'd brought her to orgasm. She could feel him push his full length in, filling her and caressing her cervix, before he pulled out and plunged in again. His rhythm was quickly established as he thrust his penis over her well swollen vaginal lips.

As his pace increased, she raised her hips up to meet him, stretching her body so he could move still deeper. His grunts let her know he was close and she felt him attack her sensitive spot under her ear again so she would explode with him.

A thin layer of perspiration covered both of their bodies as tension mounted. Sharon scraped her nails down his back as far as she could reach, then pulled up in her attempt to bring him closer. She could barely breath as their energy mounted to a frenzy. It felt like fire exploding from every part of her body when Andy bit her neck, and she screamed her release. He grunted twice more then growled as he came apart at the seams.

Sharon lay languid beneath him, wanting to float in the pleasure they had created as long as she could. Her heart beat erratically and her eyes felt too heavy to see anything other than the lights behind her eyelids. She wanted to live in that sensation for eternity, wrapped up with the weight of his limbs surrounding her.

She could feel him kiss her gently along the hairline as he tried to steady his own breath. "I should move," he whispered.

"Uh-uh."

"I'll crush you."

"Don't care."

He chuckled and massaged her buttocks that he still held firmly in his hand, all the while placing butterfly kisses along her hairline. He stayed wrapped around her until she felt his flaccid penis draw out of her body. Then he shifted his weight off her and pulled her with him as he rolled.

"This was all I wanted for Christmas," he whispered into her hair.

"I want this for the rest of my life."

_FIN_


End file.
